I Will Become A Father
by jaelke421
Summary: My cheesy alternate universe version of Ziva's return. Shamelessly uses the "sibling I never knew I had" plot device. If you are not a devoted Ziva/Tiva fan, you'll want to skip this one.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I originally began this story in July after CBS announced Cote de Pablo's departure from NCIS. It will not necessarily reflect canon for Season 11 since I have not seen any of those episodes yet. I incorporated some of the spoilers and recaps I've heard when possible. Consider this story an alternate universe for Ziva's return. I will get back to my other story eventually.

* * *

_Evening of Thursday, January 9, 2014 in Ogunquit, Maine…_

Tony sat alone in his hotel room staring at the "I Will" list he'd made four months ago. Number two: be a father. God, he missed Ziva tonight. It was the worst it had been since the first month after he'd left her behind in Israel. There was one significant difference from earlier, though. Tonight Tony wasn't aching from the memory of leaving Ziva behind or from the wasted effort of trying to force his heart to stop longing for her. Nor was his body craving her passionate touch as it often did in his dreams. No, in this moment, Tony simply wanted his best friend. After the events of the past week, he needed the woman who would tell him honestly if he was worthy of the challenge ahead.

Until now, Tony had accepted his lack of contact with Ziva as a necessary part of her journey of self-discovery and his pretense of moving on. In the midst of his need tonight, though, he resented Ziva for not being there. The sudden beeping of his phone pierced the silence of the room and startled Tony. The message he saw surprised him more. It originated from an unfamiliar Israeli number.

_Abby called me. Are you okay? _

How could he even begin to answer that with a text? But would hearing her voice only make him feel worse than he already did? His fingers knew the answer before his brain did, it seemed.

_Talk?_

His phone rang immediately. Steeling his heart, he answered.

"Hey."

"Hello, Tony. How are you?" her voice was gentle and filled with genuine concern.

In the past Tony had sometimes found Ziva's attempts at empathy irritating but tonight her compassion felt familiar and soothing.

"How do you think I am, Ziva? I'm freaking the hell out. Of all the messes Senior's left for me to clean up, this one is the biggest cluster bomb of them all. He won't return my calls. He won't contact the attorney or the social worker. I don't even know where the hell he is and, believe me, I've been looking. Abby and McGee are looking. I don't suppose you could call any of your old Mossad contacts and find…"

"Abby has already asked me. He is in New York, Tony. I can give you the name of the woman he is with if you wish," Ziva interrupted softly.

"So I guess that means Senior's intentionally avoiding the fact that he has a ten year old daughter? I get running away from parenthood is his style but I thought he'd at least show a little interest in the kid's trust fund. It's not huge but it's enough."

"He's probably scared, Tony. He knows you are angry and…"

"You're damn right I'm angry! He screws around and gets some pill popping heiress pregnant and then skips town before she can tell him she's got a bun in the oven. Did you know about this? Did your little Mossad dossier nine years ago include the fact that I had a baby half-sister I didn't know about?" Tony demanded to know.

"Of course not, Tony. I would never have kept something like this from you all this time. There is no father listed on her birth certificate and her grandfather's will was sealed. There was no way to have found this before her grandfather's death without investigating her mother. I had no reason to do that," Ziva assured Tony with uncharacteristic patience.

"But you know about her now. And about the other kid too, right? The six year-old? Apparently birth control wasn't part of mom's designer drug regimen. My half-sister has a half-sister. What does that make her to me? Like my second sister half removed?" Tony quipped humorlessly.

"It makes her your responsibility, Tony. They both are. You and your father are their only living relatives. Their mother overdosed and their grandfather had a heart attack. They need you," Ziva told him bluntly.

"No, Jamison needs me. Kori's got a sperm donor out there somewhere who might actually want to get his hands on her trust fund."

"He is dead as well. He was killed in a skiing accident two years ago. I will email the information to you to share with the social worker. You are all they have, Tony."

"Yeah, I know," Tony agreed quietly the fight leaving him.

"You are not going to argue?" Ziva asked a little bewildered.

"I met them," Tony admitted.

"That is why you are in Maine."

"Ziva David, have you been…checking up on me?" Tony teased his tone becoming unconsciously flirtatious.

"I was worried for you," Ziva admitted defensively.

Tony was thankful Ziva couldn't see him or she would have easily read just how good it made him feel to have tangible evidence she still cared. He fought the desire to give her concern more value than it merited and quickly turned the conversation back to his newly discovered family members.

"So, the social worker wants me to be the girls' legal guardian instead of Senior. She thinks being an employee of the United States government makes me responsible and trustworthy. The joke's on her. No worries, though. Being a legal guardian doesn't mean I have to actually take custody or anything. I can find someone to adopt them. Like the Palmers. They've got one foster kid already but what's two more? Or, you know, I could always take a page from Senior's parenting manual and put the girls in boarding school. There's enough money in the trust fund for that," Tony explained his voice filled with bitterness.

"But you met them…," Ziva prompted gently.

"Yeah, I spent a couple of hours at the group home with them this afternoon," Tony sighed.

"Tell me about them," Ziva insisted.

"Hang on. I'm sending you pictures."

"They are beautiful. Your sister resembles you," Ziva told him a couple of minutes later after receiving and viewing his texted photos.

It was obvious the older child was Tony's sibling. Her hazel eyes and impish smirk were so familiar they pierced Ziva's heart. With thick, wavy, honey blonde hair, the pre-teen showed signs of growing into a beauty one day. The younger girl had brown eyes, dimples and a shy smile. Her curls were several shades blonder than her older sister's.

"Jamison is definitely a DiNozzo, alright. No need for a DNA test there. She's got the personality for it. And the little one, Kori, she…," Tony paused not sure how to describe the connection he'd felt with the whimsical little girl.

"She has stolen your heart," Ziva correctly surmised.

"Yeah. Maybe they both did," Tony admitted reluctantly.

"God, Ziva, what the hell am I supposed to do here? I've got all these crazy ideas, you know? Like maybe I'm ready to be a father and if I keep them, at least they'll get to stay together. I just need a bigger place and a good babysitter and we're all set. I need you to tell me all the reasons this can't possibly work," Tony demanded.

"I will not do that, Tony. This is not a crazy idea. You _can_ do it. And you will do it because it is what is needed. That is the man you are," Ziva told him emphatically.

No one knew better than Ziva the unselfish sacrifices Tony was capable of making for those he loved.

"How can you think I'm what's best for two little girls? I don't even like kids. They need a family not some guy who…"

"If I could reach you through the phone, I would slap you. On the back of the head. Like Gibbs," Ziva interrupted.

"Your Israeli accent is getting stronger again," Tony changed the subject.

"You are what these children need, Tony. You love them already. Your team will help you. I will help you," Ziva argued ignoring his attempt to derail the seriousness of the conversation.

Tony almost physically gasped from the gut punch he'd felt when she said "your team." He wanted to argue that she would always be a part of "our team" but he left the words unspoken and fell back on old habits instead.

"Oh, right, so what? You're offering to babysit? I guess I can just ship the girls to the Middle East for the weekend when we have a big case, then? Nice sentiment but I don't think you're gonna be that much help from half way around the world," Tony told her his voice laced with sarcasm.

Ziva ignored the stab of pain at the reminder of the distance that lay between her and the man she loved. Ziva's determination to spare Tony from the hell of confronting her past along with her had done nothing to console the ache in her heart caused by the necessary separation. She missed each member of her NCIS family immensely and Tony most of all.

"I bought a two bedroom condominium near where Ducky lives. You will take over the mortage payments. It will not cost much more than your current rent. It is near a good private school that has an after-care program. There is a couple living nearby, Irina and Abram Feinstein. Irina is a family friend and her husband is stationed at the Israeli embassy. She watched Tali. If Ducky or Abby cannot be available during a case then Irina..."

"How long have you and Abby been working on this? I haven't even decided what I'm doing yet," Tony interrupted demanding to know.

"Abby called me two days ago. This is what is needed to convince the social worker you can be a parent, yes? A home with adequate room and a child care plan? Now you have both," Ziva explained her voice a little defensive.

"What're you doing, Ziva? You can't just buy me a condominium."

"Technically I am only giving you the down payment for a condominium. The mortgage will be transferred to your name."

"Ziva…"

"The money was from my father, Tony. I…sold the farmhouse. It was part of my inheritance. If you do not want to keep the town home, I will make it into a rental property," Ziva explained her voice sounding hurt.

"No, if I do this, I'm going to need it. It's not like I've got a lot of time to pull this together. That group home is definitely a temporary placement. I need to tell the social worker something tomorrow," Tony revealed.

"You have already made your decision, Tony," Ziva told him firmly.

"They said she's hard to parent. Jamison, I mean," Tony shared sounding apprehensive.

"Because she is a DiNozzo?" Ziva joked.

"More like because she's always been the parent. She's only ten years old and I felt like I was talking to an adult. She asked if they could stay with me, you know, like I was just going to rent them a room or something. She told me she can take care of her sister so I won't have to worry about that."

"She will need you to be very patient and strong…and kind. You will have to prove to her that you can be trusted to take care of them. She will undermine you but you must not give up. You are the perfect father for her," Ziva assured him softly.

They both grew silent for a moment before Tony acknowledged quietly with a hint of teasing, "So you're saying being your partner for eight years prepared me for parenting a ten year old with trust issues?"

"You will win her heart, Tony. I have no doubt about this."

"And then eight years from now, she'll grow up and break mine when she leaves me. God, why can't I just do this the easy way? Get married, have a baby and let my wife do all the heavy lifting. I'm in way over my head here."

Tony deliberately antagonized Ziva to mask the hurtful admission he'd slipped into their conversation. There was a part of him that harbored anger over her choice to remain in Israel but he refused to confront it directly. Ziva recognized his passive aggressive behavior but chose not to address it.

"I am going to pretend I did not hear you say something so ridiculously sexist."

"So, um, where are you anyway?" Tony wondered changing the subject.

"I'm at my uncle's beach house in Haifa…thinking," Ziva explained.

"Still thinking then?"

"Yes. How is Gibbs? His texts are cryptic," Ziva asked diverting the subject off of herself.

"Busy hazing the new baby probie. She's been pouting and sucking her thumb a lot but Boss hasn't made her cry yet. I'm starting to think she might work out," Tony joked nonchalantly.

"You like her then?" Ziva queried her voice hardening slightly.

"She's married," was Tony's rushed response.

"That is not what I asked, Tony," Ziva told him both amused and slightly relieved.

"Yeah, Ellie's alright. I don't know. It still feels weird. Too new, I guess. McGee likes her," Tony shrugged leaving his true feelings unsaid.

I miss you, he thought. I want you to be my partner. No matter how great this kid is, she still isn't you.

"You must do better than thinking she is alright if you are going to rely on each other in the field. Change is difficult, Tony, but you must accept it," Ziva told him bluntly.

"Is that right, Ziva? Well, I'm about to change my entire life here. I think I'm entitled to miss my old partner a little bit considering I'm going to become an instant father and give up every ounce of freedom I have. Oh, and as an added bonus, I get to move after living in the same apartment for more than a decade. I think I'm experiencing at least six of the ten most stressful life changes at once so excuse me for wishing I had somebody familiar sitting across from me," Tony whined.

"I miss you as well, Tony. I must go. There is something here that requires my attention. I…call me if you need anything…," Ziva's voice faded as she grew unsure what to say next.

"Yeah, okay. Uh…thanks for the talk and the place to live."

"Good night, Tony."

Tony sighed with bittersweet contentment as he ended the call and quickly added Ziva's number to his contact list. Talking with his best friend had given him the peace he needed. Ziva believed in him. She had convinced him he could do more than just merely take responsibility for these children but could truly become the father they needed. Tomorrow he would tell the social worker he wanted to adopt the two girls.

* * *

_Wednesday morning, March 26, 2014…_

"Come on, let's roll. Backpacks. Car. Now," Tony ordered doing his best imitation of a drill sergeant as he searched for his keys.

"You forgot to brush Kori's hair," Jamison pointed out as she joined him by the front door.

Her tone was sassy rather than accusatory. This was an improvement that had begun over the past week and Tony was grateful to finally see progress with the child. Normally she took great pleasure in angrily criticizing what she perceived as his parenting shortfalls.

"Thanks for the tip, Shortcake. Kori, come on, Monkey, time to go," Tony called for his younger daughter a second time but she completely ignored him.

"She's Merida today. You know, Brave. Red hair. Bow and arrow," Jamison informed him saucily reminding him about the details of Kori's new favorite Disney movie.

"Right. Who does that make us?" Tony wondered with a teasing wink at Jamison before calling for his younger daughter once more.

"Merida, let's go. Time for archery school. You don't want to be late."

"The dad's name is King Fergus. I'm going to be Mor'du, the fearsome bear. Grrrr," Jamison roared at her sister when the little girl finally appeared at the front door.

"That's enough, Mor'du. Come on, guys, let's go."

"Hair," Jamison reminded him again more forcefully this time.

"I bought an extra hairbrush and put it in the car. You can do it for her on the way," Tony told Jamison with a proud smirk.

"Daddy Fergus is very wise," Kori decided reaching for Tony's hand and earning a glare from her sister.

Unlike Jamison, Kori had completely embraced Tony as her father and Jamison was struggling with the perceived disloyalty. She manifested her feelings by tormenting her sister in ways that sometimes exceeded normal sibling rivalry and forced Tony to intervene for the younger girl.

"You're pulling my hairs," Kori complained with a whine a few minutes later in the car.

"You have tangles," Jamison responded unsympathetically.

"You could do it a little more gently," Tony admonished from the front seat.

"I could," Jamison agreed in a tone that implied she had no intention of doing so.

"I'll brush your hair tomorrow, Merida," Tony promised Kori.

"Don't worry, Daddy Fergus. I've drank from the fire falls. This scraffy witch can't hurt me," Kori announced proudly using a quote from the movie to remain in character.

"Don't call me a witch, you little…"

"Don't forget your soccer stuff, Mor'du. Practice tonight," Tony quickly interrupted to remind Jamison as he pulled to a stop in front of the entrance to the girls' school.

"Do I have to ride to with Lauren? I don't like her. She stinks," Jamison complained after Kori had exited the car and run toward the school door chasing an imaginary bear with a pretend bow and arrow.

"Lauren's mom takes you and I pick you up. That's how carpooling works. Practice starts at five-thirty. If you want to play, you have to ride with Lauren. I told you the deal when you asked to be on the team," Tony explained patiently.

"The other parents watch the _whole_ time," Jamison told him sullenly.

"Not true. The ones with jobs don't. And I haven't missed a single game," Tony reminded her.

"We've only had scrimmages and they were on Saturday," Jamison countered.

"Just get your soccer bag and your backpack and get out of the car. You're making yourself late," Tony finally snapped irritably.

"Daddy Fergus almost had a chance to make it to work on time today," Tony mumbled to himself as he pulled out of the school drop off line after Jamison had finally exited the car with deliberately exaggerated slowness.

Any morning the two girls wore clean uniforms, ate breakfast, and brushed their hair before Tony dropped them off at school, he counted it as a success even if he was late for work. It had taken a few weeks but he was finally getting into a routine. It could still derail at any moment if Jamison had a tantrum or Kori retreated into a fantasy world where school didn't exist. Gibbs had given him a lot of grace so far. These weren't easy kids and his boss understood that.

Kori was an extremely creative and imaginative child. Her tendency to pretend she was a fictional character most of the time had concerned Tony initially but Ducky had reassured him that role play was an age appropriate way for Kori to express her emotions during this time of transition.

The character Kori played often reflected her mood. Hocus, the rabbit that lived inside Frosty the Snowman's magical hat, meant the little girl was sad. Lacey, the youngest of twelve dancing princesses, usually revealed Kori was scared. There were a variety of personas that had good connotations and a couple that indicated she was angry with her sister. Merida was new but she seemed to signal that Kori was feeling strong and empowered. Or maybe the little girl just really liked the Disney DVD Tony had bought her.

Tony didn't need imaginary characters as a barometer for Jamison's mood. She had only one most of the time and it was angry. She continually tested all the boundaries Tony set and pushed his buttons constantly in an effort to prove he wasn't worthy of her trust. His patience had worn thin a few times but for the most part, Tony had persevered. He'd worked hard to maintain consistency and give his older daughter the security she needed. She was slowly allowing him to be the parent. On her better days, Tony was developing a rapport with Jamison that he enjoyed. She was a fun kid when she didn't hate him.

Tony sighed as he rode the elevator to the NCIS squad room and made a valiant attempt to shift his focus to work. His becoming a father had altered the team dynamics yet again. Ziva's prediction had been correct and his NCIS family had rallied around him over the past two months.

McGee had become the mentor that their probationary agent, Ellie Bishop, sorely needed allowing Tony to focus on his new family. In his usual quiet way, Gibbs had been a pillar of support often interjecting simple, logical solutions when Tony felt overwhelmed. Of course, Abby had inserted herself into everything from helping him with laundry to signing the girls up for dance classes. Even Ellie frequently offered to complete the senior agent's paperwork so he could leave the office on time each day.

Tony had easily convinced his father to voluntarily relinquish his parental rights to Jamison. The senior DiNozzo was more than willing to let Tony parent the child. The girls' caseworker was prepared to endorse the adoption and Tony was just waiting for an assigned family court date and then both girls would officially be his. Anthony DiNozzo Sr. had at least visited and played the role of doting grandfather. He had quickly and easily won the girls' affection and they called him Poppy. Tony had encouraged it so that Jamison would have a relationship with her biological father.

Even Ziva had made good on her promised assistance. In addition to spoiling the girls with material things and securing a good family law attorney for Tony, Ziva had aided him on difficult cases when needed. As his mystery confidential informant, she had provided information gleaned from her former Mossad contacts that it might have otherwise taken Tony hours or days to find through conventional investigation methods. Gibbs wasn't fooled but he said nothing.

Although Tony knew it was risky for his heart, he had resumed regular contact with Ziva. With the seven hour time difference and most of Tony's waking hours consumed with parenting, they had fallen into a habit of video chatting after the girls were asleep on Friday nights. That corresponded to early Saturday morning for Ziva. Tony was usually exhausted and often discouraged by the end of the week and Ziva seemed eager to listen. Sometimes she offered advice or reassurance but mostly she was just the receptacle for his venting. Tony counted on that time of adult interaction with Ziva every week.

"Challenging morning?" McGee asked when Tony finally reached his desk.

"Just the usual. I'm the worst dad ever because Jamison has to carpool to soccer practice with a stinky kid," Tony explained.

"Who is Kori today?" Ellie wanted to know.

"Merida," Tony responded fully expecting Ellie to need further explanation.

"Oh, Brave," Ellie replied with a smile before adding, "Merida is a strong role model for young girls. I really like the way Disney has portrayed female characters in their newer movies."

"Of course you do, My Little Probie. You're only twelve," Tony teased using the nickname he had derived from one of Kori's favorite cartoons, My Little Pony.

"I watched it with my niece, DiNozzo. And I'm twenty-seven," Ellie corrected huffily.

"Wait, she's twenty-seven? I thought you said she was twenty-six," Tony asked McGee.

The senior agent returned his gaze to the most junior team member and asked, "Did I miss your birthday?"

"It was last week, Tony. Abby sent you an email," McGee reminded him.

"Sorry. Congratulations on finally being in your late twenties," Tony told Ellie his sincerely apologetic grimace taking some of the sting out of the dig at her young age.

Ellie simply nodded and returned her focus to her computer screen.

"So, how did our baby probie celebrate her birthday? Go out and party with all your friends? Get drunk. Help me out here. I'm trying to remember what it was like to have a social life," Tony teased knowing Ellie was mostly a homebody with a small social circle.

"I had dinner with my husband," Ellie shared reluctantly.

"I had a pretty quiet weekend myself," McGee admitted in solidarity.

"See, now I feel so much better about having no life. At least I've got the fatherhood excuse. You kid-free in-pro-berts are just anti-social," Tony decided with a grin enjoying his creative alteration of the word introvert.

"Grab your gear," Gibbs interrupted entering the squad room.


	2. Chapter 2

_Late Wednesday evening, March 26, 2014…_

It was just after ten when Tony finally relaxed in his new queen sized bed and booted up his laptop. His days of returning to the office late at night were over but McGee had set it up so Tony could work remotely from home. The senior agent had even splurged on a special computer stand for his laptop that made working in bed more comfortable.

Tony had intended to do some research for the team's newest case but an incoming video call appeared almost immediately after he connected to the internet. When he accepted the call, Ziva's face filled the screen. She looked exhausted and sad. It was five in the morning for her and Tony doubted she had slept.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked.

"It's never a bad time for you, Sweet Cheeks. What's up?" Tony flirted hoping to elicit a smile from her but she remained downcast.

"You heard about the missiles fired into Gaza yesterday?" Ziva inquired wearily.

"In retaliation for the strike on that bus in Jerusalem? Yeah. What about it?" Tony recalled.

"A friend from my days at university was killed. She worked with an aid organization in the refugee camps," Ziva shared.

"Are you still in Haifa?" Tony asked hopefully thinking it was well north of the violence.

"No, I have returned to Tel Aviv to meet with attorneys. I am finalizing my father's estate. Yesterday was a day focused on all that I have lost," Ziva revealed her voice laced with hopelessness.

Although he hated knowing she was sad, Tony was pleasantly surprised Ziva was sharing how she felt. Her openness made him think that despite the geographical distance, maybe their relationship was growing.

"I'm sorry, Ziva. I know…"

"Why are you talking to your computer?" Jamison interrupted her tone implying she thought Tony had lost his mind.

"Why are you out of bed?" Tony responded pointedly turning toward his bedroom door.

"I can't sleep because my arm hurts a whole lot. Like a really, really lot," Jamison explained her demeanor changing to an injured little girl who wanted her father to make it better.

Tony could tell Jamison's pain was genuine and she was not exaggerating. She had taken a hard tumble during soccer practice and injured her wrist. While he hated that she had been hurt, it had marked a giant step forward in their relationship. The little girl had immediately sought him for comfort when the accident happened. Tony had feared they were destined for a night spent in the emergency room but an examination by Ducky had confirmed it was only a sprain and not a break.

"Come here and let me look at it," Tony said motioning the child over.

Tony pulled Jamison close and kissed the top of her head while she stared at the laptop curiously.

"Can you say hi to my friend Ziva?" Tony asked nodding toward the computer.

While Jamison was distracted, Tony gently unfastened the brace Ducky had recommended in order to get a better view of the child's arm and hand. He confirmed that the swelling had not increased.

"Hi," Jamison said softly growing shy now that she knew Tony had been speaking with a real person.

"Hello. What happened to your arm?" Ziva asked.

"I hurt it at soccer practice."

"How did you injure your arm playing football? I thought you only use your feet," Ziva wondered her tone gently teasing.

"Ziva lives in Israel. That's another country. They say football instead of soccer. Kinda weird, huh?" Tony explained.

"Very weird," Jamison agreed.

"How about if we try a little more painkiller and ice your arm again and see if that helps?" Tony decided careful to word it as a suggestion and not an order so Jamison would comply.

When she nodded, Tony asked, "Pill or drink medicine?"

The ability to successfully dispense medication was one of the many essential parenting skills that Tony had acquired over the past two months. Jamison hovered between preferring liquid children's medicine and smaller doses of adult medication. Tony had learned to always ask first with his older daughter.

"Is it bubblegum flavor?" Jamison inquired about the liquid painkiller.

"Cherry. Sorry, that's all they had at the store this time," Tony explained matching Jamison's grimace.

He had personally taste tested the cherry flavored liquid ibuprofen and found it disgusting but Kori didn't seem to mind it.

"Yuck! Pill, please, with a _big_ glass of water. What else funny do you say in…where do you live?" Jamison asked turning her attention back to the laptop screen and crawling onto the bed after Tony vacated it.

Tony had to wonder if Jamison's use of please resulted from having an audience she hoped to impress. It was certainly the first time she had voluntarily added it to any request she'd made of him. They had an ongoing battle over her tendency to demand rather than ask for things.

"I live in Israel. Hmm, let me think...instead of hello, I say shalom. It means I am wishing you peace. What position do you play on your _soccer_ team?" Ziva inquired.

"I'm the goalie most of the time. Tony says it's because I have a mean streak so the coach doesn't like to put me out on the field with all the wimpy girls. He doesn't like my coach very much. He said she's on the prowl but I don't really know what that means. Are you the one that sent my sister her doll house?" Jamison wondered abruptly changing the subject.

"Well, I meant for both of you to have it but I see now that you are much too grown up for dolls," Ziva confirmed.

"It's okay because Kori really likes it. She plays with it every day with all her ponies and Barbie dolls and fairies. I like some Monster High dolls but I really like video games the most," Jamison explained hopefully.

"And you can use your allowance to buy them," Tony reminded her as he returned with the ice pack and medicine.

"I get allowance for helping my sister with her bath. And for cleaning my room and putting away my laundry. Those are my only jobs because Tony does everything else. Except sometimes I brush my sister's hair if we're late. My allowance is only ten dollars a week. That's not very much," Jamison rambled.

"It's a good thing I'm not paying you to talk. I'd be broke," Tony teased as he held out the pill and water.

"She is a DiNozzo," Ziva observed as Jamison carefully swallowed before speaking again.

The little girl shook her head negatively, "Nuh-uh. My name isn't DiNozzo yet. I have to get adopted first. Right now my name is Jamison Brooke Scott and my sister's name is Kori Annison Scott. But at school our teachers say DiNozzo because Tony asked them to. He said he doesn't need a piece of paper from the judge to be our dad."

"Anything else you think Ziva needs to know about us, Shortcake, or have you told her everything?" Tony teased as he sat on the bed settling the girl next to him and arranging the ice pack on her arm.

"Did you know that I'm allowed to say any bad words I hear Tony say and I don't get a time out? Unless he says a _really_ bad word on accident and then he puts a dollar in the jar. I'm not allowed to say the jar words. We give the jar money to Auntie Abby to help homeless people. Do you know who Auntie Abby is? She's like a real life Monster High doll."

"Yes, I do know Abby. She is a very good friend. Tell me, what words are you allowed to say?" Ziva wondered her curiosity piqued.

"Um, we can say hell and damn and sometimes ass but only if it's not calling someone a bad name. Like you can say you were laughing your ass off if you want to. Those are the okay bad words but I can only say them at home. That's because most parents don't let ten year olds say bad words. Other kids have to wait until they are like sixteen or seventeen but not me," Jamison gloated.

"I can only change so much at once," Tony defended when Ziva gave him a censoring look.

"I can't say bad words at school either because Ms. Casey, that's our principal, she will call Tony and then he has to go to a conference and he really hates those," Jamison revealed.

"Do they cause you to recall bad memories, Tony?" Ziva asked with mock sympathy.

"If I get in trouble at school and Tony has to go a conference then I have to put my DS on top of the refrigerator and not play with it for three whole days. That's not for the folder signs the teachers give you, though. If I get a folder sign like for talking or not following directions then I just lose all my screen privileges for one night. Screen privileges are TV and my DS and Tony's phone," Jamison elaborated.

"That is all very interesting. I am enjoying talking with you. I had a sad day and you are making me feel much better," Ziva told the child.

As she listened to Jamison, Ziva wordlessly communicated to Tony that she was impressed with his parenting. The boundaries he had set were beginning to impact his daughter and the child was drawing security from knowing exactly what was expected of her and what she could expect from Tony.

"I'm sorry you're sad. Do you want me to tell you a joke?"

When Ziva answered affirmatively, Jamison asked, "What's invisible and smells like carrots?"

"I don't know," Ziva replied sounding puzzled.

"Rabbit farts!"

Something about the child's innocent enthusiasm struck a chord with Ziva and she could not help but laugh along with Jamison. Ziva longed to be in the same room with Tony and his daughter instead of viewing them through the computer screen.

"I have never heard of a farting rabbit but we have camels in Israel and they fart a lot. They stink!" Ziva shared with an exaggerated shudder.

"Ewww, that's gross," Jamison said before dissolving into giggles.

"Did you know Tony farts in the car?" Jamison added before shrieking with laughter.

"Yes, I know! It is disgusting!" Ziva agreed with wide smile.

"Well, that escalated quickly. You are up way too late, Shortcake," Tony sighed as he saw Jamison yawn.

Jamison looked troubled at the idea of getting put back into her own bed. Tony quickly reassured her by rearranging the pillows so she could lie down next to him. He knew her arm had not completely stopped hurting despite the distraction Ziva was providing.

"Why don't you tell Ziva good night and close your eyes? It's my turn to talk to her," Tony teased.

"Laila tov, mamileh. That is how I say good night sweetheart in Israel," Ziva told the little girl before looking at Tony with questioning eyes.

He held a finger against his lips signaling her to remain quiet and within a minute, Jamison appeared to be asleep.

"That medicine I gave her was really Benadryl," Tony whispered sheepishly.

"Tony! She did not need an antihistamine for her arm," Ziva admonished.

"Ducky gave her a painkiller that lasts twelve hours and she was still hurting. She wasn't going to sleep otherwise and she's hell on wheels with no sleep. You got to see the best side of her tonight," Tony explained.

"She is adorable. You are making progress with her," Ziva observed.

"I think you may be her new best friend. You know you're going to have to talk to Kori now, too. You can't let one of them have something the other one doesn't have without starting a war."

"I will look forward to it. You seem tired, Tony."

"I'm always tired. I interviewed witnesses all day and then soccer practice, drive through for dinner, a detour for Ducky to check Jamison's arm, pharmacy for the wrist brace, homework, baths, packing lunches, and a load of laundry. Parenting isn't for wimps, Ziva," Tony announced gloating about his self-proclaimed martyrdom.

When Ziva didn't argue with him, it reminded Tony of her earlier admission.

"Neither is grieving…or thinking," Tony reminded her.

"I am fine. Your daughter has…restored my faith in what is good," Ziva assured him.

"I need to work," Tony admitted with a sigh not really wanting to end the conversation but knowing it was necessary.

"I could help," Ziva offered hopefully.

"You help me so much you might as well accept Vance's job offer next time he calls so you can get paid for all this consulting," Tony teased referring to the director's regular attempts to return Ziva to NCIS in some capacity.

"Tell me about the prowling soccer coach," Ziva requested pointedly changing the subject.

"I guess I have my little parrot here to thank for filling you in on that one," Tony correctly deduced looking down at Jamison fondly before continuing.

"It isn't just the coach. Vance tried to warn me. A single dad is like raw meat and those soccer moms are a pack of hungry lions. They've got nothing on dance moms, though. Watching a daddy take his daughter to ballet class makes them practically orgasmic and…"

"I do not need to hear the details," Ziva interrupted with feigned disgust.

"What details? There are no details. I have kids now. Who has time for details? But I'm telling you, I missed a whole untapped market back in the day. I could've borrowed a kid every Saturday morning and had as many women as I could handle for the next week," Tony joked.

"You need more time for yourself, Tony," Ziva admonished.

"Abby takes the girls to church on Sunday mornings. That gives me a couple of hours. And I do that single dads support group thing on Monday nights, the one the caseworker wanted me to do. The pastor that leads it is a decent guy."

"That is not exactly a social life, Tony. I am concerned this time talking with me…I should tell you to date but it is difficult to say," Ziva admitted providing a rare insight into her true feelings.

"I don't really want to hear it anyway. Look, I'm barely keeping my head above water here. It takes everything I've got to be a single dad and still do my job. This virtual thing with you is what I need right now so can we just let it be what it is? Talking to you is keeping me sane," Tony shared matching her openness.

"It will be whatever you need for it to be for as long as you need it, Tony. Tell me how I can help you with the case."

If you really want to help me then come home, Tony thought silently but he would never ask it of her. Returning had to be Ziva's choice when she was ready.

* * *

_Sunday afternoon, April 13, 2014…_

"Then the gigantic-ist gorilla banged on the window and Poppy jumped this high. It was hil-lar-i-ous," Kori described gesturing so wildly with her hands that they left Ziva's viewing range on the computer screen.

Ziva nodded but didn't bother to respond just yet. She knew Kori would barely take a breath before describing the next animal she had seen on her trip to the zoo earlier in the week. Tony had warned Ziva ahead of time that the girls, Kori especially, were eager to tell their best friend in Israel all about their spring break. Tony's father had visited and spoiled the girls with a variety of family outings.

Sundays after church had become the ideal time for the girls to video chat with Ziva. All three loved it and Ziva never missed a Sunday. Abby sometimes stayed for lunch after bringing the girls home and then joined in the conversations with Ziva. Today Auntie Abby had other plans, though.

"Kori, it's my turn now. You're hogging Ziva," Jamison complained trying to edge her way between where the laptop computer sat on the kitchen table and Kori's chair.

"I'm still talking," Kori disagreed trying to push Jamison away so she could see Ziva again.

"I set the timer, Shortcake. Wait your turn," Tony interjected patiently holding up his phone to show Jamison that Kori had three minutes of Ziva time remaining.

"Ugh!" Jamison sighed with exaggerated impatience but she obediently moved behind her sister.

Ziva tried not to laugh and to stay focused on Kori's story telling despite the silly faces and hand gestures Jamison was making above the younger girl's head. Once Kori became aware of her sister's antics, however, a full blown verbal fight commenced.

Ultimately, Jamison lost her temper completely and her self-control along with it. Shoving Kori with the intention of pushing her out of the chair, Jamison instead turned the wooden chair completely over with Kori still in it. The younger girl's head hit the tile floor with a loud thud and the chair followed with a thunderous clatter. Kori's hysterical crying echoed loudly off the walls.

Tony was on the floor with Kori in an instant inspecting her for any serious injuries. Terrified, he quickly determined the bump to her head was not serious and she was more scared than hurt. At that point, Tony's fear turned to boiling anger.

"What the hell is the matter with you? You're lucky you didn't bust her head open. Go to your room. Now!" he yelled at Jamison.

Terrified of Tony's temper, Jamison quickly fled and Kori's wailing silenced. Guilt overcame Tony as his youngest daughter stared at him with wide eyes.

"It's okay, Monkey. Daddy didn't mean to yell. I was just scared you were hurt but everything's okay now," Tony reassured her as he righted the chair back in front of the computer and then sat in it with Kori in his lap.

"Is she alright?" Ziva asked worriedly having heard more than she could see of the altercation and aftermath.

"Yeah, I think so," Tony said but his eyes communicated more.

I screwed up and lost it with my kid, he told Ziva silently.

"Perhaps Kori would like to tell me more about the zoo while you talk with Jamison," Ziva suggested.

"Is that a good idea?" Tony asked Kori who nodded happily her tears now completely forgotten.

Tony was not quite out of earshot when he heard Kori begin talking to Ziva again.

"Jamison better get a spanking," Kori told Ziva angrily.

"Your father spanks you?" Ziva asked shocked Tony would use corporal punishment with the girls.

Kori furrowed her brow and thought hard for few moments before telling Ziva, "No, Grandpa spanked us but he's in heaven. He spanked Jamison all the time 'cause her mouth is smart. Daddy just makes Jamison go to time out in our room or sometimes she has to put some of her allowance money in the jar for draining all his energy."

Ziva smiled at Kori's interpretation of the _Love and Logic_ parenting philosophy. Tony had been excited when their caseworker had recommended the book and website to him. The approach fit well with Jamison's strong-willed nature and he felt it had enabled him to make progress with the child's behavior. In want of a distraction from dealing with her own issues, Ziva had read the book along with Tony.

Ziva tried to focus on Kori but she worried about how Tony was handling his confrontation with Jamison. Although it was completely understandable given the situation, Ziva knew he was disappointed in himself for reacting to his daughter in anger.

Tony stood in the hallway and took a deep breath. He wasn't surprised to learn the girls' grandfather had been old-fashioned in his discipline methods. Something in Kori's statement nagged at his cop instincts, though, and for the first time, he wondered if some of Jamison's anger issues might stem from her grandfather taking her punishments too far. Had the little girl been physically abused by her grandfather as well as neglected by her mother?

Tony knocked softly on the girls' bedroom door to warn Jamison he was about to enter. He found her sitting on the bottom bunk of the girls' beds with her arms tightly crossed. Her expression was defiant but Tony also recognized fear in her eyes and it broke his heart. He wanted her to dislike consequences when necessary but never to be afraid of him. Sitting on the bed with Jamison, Tony stared at her for a few moments before speaking. She returned his gaze initially but then dropped her head.

"I'm sorry, Shortcake. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I was just scared when I thought Kori might be hurt," Tony apologized and then waited to let his words sink in with the child.

When it finally did, her demeanor changed from defiance to shock. Never in her short life had an adult authority figure apologized for losing their temper with her.

"Is Kori okay?" Jamison finally mumbled contritely.

"She's fine now but she might not have been. You are a lot bigger and stronger than she is. It wasn't a very smart choice to shove her like that," Tony admonished sternly.

"I'm sorry," the little girl told him her eyes filling with tears.

"I'm not the one that deserves an apology. Kori gets one as soon as we're done in here, understood?" Tony told her his voice still very firm.

"Yes, sir."

Scared enough to say sir for the first time can't be good, Tony thought to himself. He needed to resolve this as quickly as possible he decided.

"We need to talk about consequences," Tony stated pointedly.

Tony was not shocked by the conversation that followed but it still upset him. Jamison had spent two months pushing his buttons and gauging his reactions. While her testing had included a few physical altercations with Kori, those had mainly involved hair pulling and light slapping. Tony had found it irritating but it had never really angered him until today.

Today was different and, for the first time, Jamison had come close to causing serious harm to her sister. It was obvious the child thought she had finally done the one thing that would send Tony over the edge and prove he was not the father he claimed to be.

"Are you going to give me back to that social worker lady?" Jamison asked trying to hold back a sob.

"No way. That will never happen. I'm keeping you forever. I promise. I will always love you even when you make wrong choices. You're stuck with me for the long haul, Shortcake," Tony assured her gently stroking her cheek until she gave him a watery half smile.

Jamison was quiet for a few moments as she digested his words. Having Tony stop loving her had been her greatest fear but another loomed a close second. So far, Tony had always been unfailingly kind and fair even when he'd needed to discipline her.

This had not been true of any other adult in Jamison's life. Both her grandfather and the older nanny he'd employed had disciplined her in anger and it had almost always been physical. Today Jamison had finally made Tony truly angry and she feared her impending punishment. It broke Tony's heart to watch her start to tremble as she waited for him to explain what he intended for consequences.

"Alright, here's the deal, kid. Your whole allowance for this week has to go in the jar. I'll put ten dollars in the jar too for yelling at you like that. We both need to remember it's never a good choice to hurt someone you love when you're mad."

"My _whole_ allowance? That's not fair! Kori started it," Jamison protested as the specifics of her punishment registered with her.

Tony tried to hide a victorious smile. His feisty little girl was back.

"Yes, your _whole_ allowance. And what else are you going to do?" Tony asked keeping his voice firm.

"Say sorry to Kori," Jamison mumbled unhappily.

"Alright. It's your turn to talk to Ziva. Come on."

"What's wrong?" Tony asked when Jamison hesitated to leave her bed.

Realization dawned and Tony asked gently, "Are you embarrassed because Ziva saw what happened?"

When Jamison nodded, Tony grinned as he thought of his fiery former partner and told his daughter, "Trust me, Shortcake, Ziva will understand."

After father and daughter returned to the kitchen and Jamison had made her apology to her sister, Tony bribed Kori to leave the room by promising to watch Tinkerbell with her. He and Ziva communicated silently and Ziva understood it was her turn to play good cop and be Jamison's friend. It was a role Ziva was happy to undertake.

"How are you?" Ziva asked gently.

"It's a very bad day. I got in a lot of trouble and it wasn't even all my fault. My sister was being a brat," Jamison complained.

"Little sisters can be very difficult," Ziva agreed sympathetically.

"I have to put my _whole_ allowance in the jar. It's not fair," Jamison continued pouting.

"I am sorry. That is a very unpleasant consequence," Ziva commiserated.

Prepared to argue and instead surprised and comforted by Ziva's empathy, Jamison sighed in resignation.

"I guess it's not that bad. It's way better than getting a spanking. Tony is nice most of the time and I kinda did push my sister but I didn't mean to do it so hard," Jamison conceded.

The child seemed lost in thought for a moment and Ziva waited patiently for Jamison to speak again.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Jamison asked.

"Of course, mamileh. You can tell me anything," Ziva encouraged.

"I like living with Tony better than my grandpa. Is that bad?" Jamison worried.

"No, it is not bad at all. Tony is a very good person. It is okay to like him best," Ziva reassured her.

"My grandpa was mean to us. He yelled all the time. Tony said he was sorry for yelling. He's putting money in the jar too. That's actually kind of fair," Jamison decided.

"I am sorry your grandfather was not always nice. Sometimes adults have problems that cause them to act badly. That is never your fault," Ziva explained trying to further the topic.

Jamison looked down at her lap for a few moments and finally admitted quietly, "Grandpa didn't like it that we had to live at his house. He called my mom jar words. And even me and Kori too sometimes. Tony was really mad before but he didn't call me any mean names. And he…"

Jamison paused debating whether she wanted to share her most special secret of all.

"What?" Ziva prompted encouragingly.

"Tony is the first grown up that ever said I love you to me."

* * *

"What if that social worker hadn't found me instead of Senior?" Tony began to rant before Ziva interrupted.

"The social worker _did_ find you. And you are a good father. The girls love you. You are making a difference in their lives," Ziva encouraged.

It was late Sunday evening for Tony. Ziva had woken up early on her Monday morning to video chat with Tony and give him a synopsis of her conversation with Jamison. Her investigative instincts told her Jamison and probably Kori too had been verbally and likely physically abused by their grandfather. Ziva thought Tony needed this information even though it meant breaking Jamison's confidence.

"It's worth it, you know? I'd do whatever it takes now. I'd even give up being an agent if I had to. Whatever they need. I love them that much," Tony revealed his voice quiet and serious.

Ziva's features were etched with sadness as she told him, "You are a devoted father. It is what I knew you would be. Your daughters are very fortunate."

"Ziva…"

"I must go."

Her image disappeared from his screen instantly leaving Tony alone with his thoughts. He was worried for her. If she had a life outside of chatting with him, she never mentioned it. He'd left her in Israel to find herself but he worried she'd found only heartache instead.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Interesting factoid, when I originally wrote this story, I gave Tony's younger daughter the name Ellie. At that time all that was known about the new character was that her name would be "Bishop" and she was "smart, analytical, athletic, and somewhat socially awkward." I updated the names but the new agent is OOC. I haven't seen episodes with her yet but I read TPTB backed off on the socially awkward description later. It was working for this story so I didn't try to change it.

* * *

_Tuesday, May 6, 2014…_

Jamison requested permission to leave the dinner table and then went to her bedroom without another word. She had been quiet and sullen since Tony had picked the girls up from after care. He'd asked her what was wrong but had only received a mumbled "nothing" in response. He was concerned about her but proud of the self-control she'd displayed so far. Whatever was upsetting her, she had not allowed it to cause her to act out.

"Ready to read, Monkey?" Tony asked Kori who happily skipped off to find her backpack.

After signing Kori's school reading log, Tony started her bath water and went to find Jamison. She was laying on her bed listening to the iPod Touch Ziva had sent her.

"Kori's ready for her bath. Finished with your homework?" Tony asked his daughter after removing her headphones.

"I did it all already at after care. I'll go help Kori now," Jamison responded emotionlessly.

Tony waited until his daughter had left the room and then inspected the iPod. The contacts for the texting and email applications remained restricted to himself, Ziva and Abby. He ignored the contents of the messages trusting either of the women to tell him if something was seriously wrong. He found no unapproved music or apps on the device either. He glanced around the room and then checked Jamison's school backpack looking for a teacher's note or any other sign of trouble but nothing seemed amiss.

Whatever was bothering Jamison, the only clues to be found were inside the child's head. It was going to be up to Tony to draw them out.

"Can I watch ANT Farm until bedtime?" Jamison asked Tony an hour later after she had finished her shower.

"Not right now, Shortcake. Come here," Tony said motioning her over to the couch.

"Do you know what off the record means?" Tony asked.

Jamison shook her head skeptically.

"Off the record means no matter what you say, it won't get anybody into trouble. So I was thinking maybe you could tell me what's bugging you _off the record_," Tony requested giving her his best puppy eyes.

"Pleeeease," Tony begged his silliness drawing an eye roll and hesitant smile from his daughter.

"It's kind of embarrassing," Jamison finally admitted reluctantly.

"It's alright, kid, you can tell me anything. I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong," Tony reminded her gently.

"The kids in my class were really mean to me today," Jamison told him refusing to meet his eyes.

"Mean to you how?" Tony wanted to know surprised at the sudden desire he felt to march into her school and start knocking heads together.

"They all laughed at me in gym class."

"Why would they do that? You're a great athlete. It's just because you're better than them. They were jealous, Shortcake," Tony encouraged her.

"No, they weren't!" Jamison snapped in frustration.

"Okay, then, tell me what they said," Tony responded patiently.

"It's kind of girl thing," Jamison hesitated.

"I know a lot about girls. I think I can handle it but we can call Auntie Abby if that makes you more comfortable," Tony suggested.

After a moment of thought, Jamison revealed, "Lauren said I'm a baby because I still wear camisoles and all the other girls in the fourth grade wear bras. She told everyone and they laughed at me when we changed into our gym clothes."

Tony was momentarily shocked. Ten year olds wearing bras? Wasn't she too young for this?

"I knew I shouldn't have told you," Jamison pouted crossing her arms.

"No, it's cool. I'm going to fix this, baby. I will," Tony assured her.

"You promise?" Jamison asked sternly.

"Absolutely. On Saturday. We'll take care of it then," Tony decided knowing their evenings would be too busy for shopping.

"I have to go to gym again on Thursday," Jamison worried.

"I'll write you a note so you don't have to change. We'll say your wrist is hurting again," Tony told her.

"That's lying," Jamison replied with a conspiratorial grin.

"Yeah, but it's off the record," Tony told her with a wink.

"Um, Tony, Lauren also said my hair looks bad. She called me a shaggy dog," Jamison revealed.

Tony studied his daughter's long slightly frizzy hair with a frown. Maybe taking the girls to the local walk-in place hadn't been the best plan. In those overwhelming first months after they'd arrived, Tony had been lured by the convenience but maybe Jamison at least was ready for something more upscale. He resolved to ask Abby for advice.

"Maybe it's time for a different haircut. I'm going to get the hang of this dad thing, kiddo, but you gotta cut me a little slack, okay? I'm still pretty new at this. Is there anything else I need to know?" Tony wondered.

"Lauren wears make up," Jamison responded hopefully.

"Nice try, Shortcake. You're ten. You're not wearing makeup. And we're finding a different carpool for soccer practice," Tony decided.

"_Now_ can I watch ANT Farm?" Jamison demanded to know.

* * *

_Wednesday morning, May 7, 2014…_

"No, Abby, I understand. The nuns are counting on you," Tony sighed dramatically as he hung up his desk phone.

"Something wrong, Tony?" McGee asked looking up from his computer screen.

"Yeah, McGee, I'm taking Jamison _bra_ shopping on Saturday and Abby can't come," Tony announced bluntly in a juvenile attempt to embarrass his teammate.

"I don't see the problem, Tony. You buy lingerie for women all the time," McGee responded without missing a beat.

"I don't go into the dressing room with them, McBlivious. Well, except for when I dated that manager at Victoria's Secret and we…," Tony started to remember with a proud smile.

"Oh, my God," Tim mumbled certain Tony was about to describe having sex in a public dressing room.

"Hey, Ellie, what are _you_ doing on Saturday?"

Tony was suddenly distracted from his story by the realization that he had female partner.

"No," Ellie told him without looking away from her computer screen.

"Oh, come on, you're a girl…uh, woman…," Tony pleaded.

"No."

"That's it. Just no. You're not even going to give me an excuse?" Tony demanded.

"My excuse is I don't want to go shopping with _that_ child," Ellie explained in frustration.

"This would be the perfect opportunity for you to bond with her," Tony began but changed direction when he saw Ellie's look of utter disbelief.

"Okay, I admit, Jamison has had a few anger issues in the past but she's doing a lot better now," Tony assured Ellie.

"She threw her soccer ball in my face, DiNozzo."

"That was almost three months ago," Tony tried to persuade his partner but she just glared at him.

"I took away her DS for the rest of the weekend," Tony finally mumbled apologetically.

"You know, Ellie, maybe you should've held back a little on analyzing her soccer skills. Jamison is only ten," McGee suggested.

"I was trying to help her improve her game," Ellie defended.

"Take the kid to a department store and ask a sales woman for help," Gibbs ordered Tony as he returned from a coffee run.

"Hey, Boss, what about Leyla?"

* * *

_Saturday night, May 10, 2014…_

Ziva listened with amusement as Tony complained about his afternoon of shopping and haircuts as if it had been a trying ordeal. She knew the act was entirely designed to win her laughter.

Ziva's imagination conjured a more accurate picture of what had truly transpired. Tony had no doubt flashed his most charming smile while playing the helpless single dad and had every female sales associate in the store bending over backwards to assist Jamison.

"You could've warned me about the flat iron," Tony continued whining as Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Do you realize how hot those things get? Can you see the size of this blister?" Tony ranted teasingly holding his thumb to the laptop camera lens to give Ziva a close up.

"I did not think you needed to be told not to touch the heating element, Tony," Ziva replied refusing sympathy.

"Auntie Abby gets to be the hero for recommending the stylist while I'm the one stuck straightening the kid's hair every night after her shower," Tony groused.

"Is Jamison happier with her appearance now?" Ziva asked seriously and Tony's focus immediately switched to his daughter.

"Oh, yeah, she loves the new cut. You should've seen her, Ziva. She kept trying to sneak a look at herself in every mirror we passed. What?" Tony asked when Ziva's expression grew nostalgic.

"I hated my hair when I was her age but my father…always told me it was beautiful. He promised one day the boys would love it," she recalled surprising Tony by sharing the memory aloud.

"He was right," Tony told her gruffly overcome by a sudden longing to have his hands in her hair again.

Ziva was not oblivious to Tony's thoughts and she hurriedly steered the conversation back to safe territory. The days when she would have tortured him with sexual innuendo were in the distant past. It would be much too cruel to taunt him with unfulfilled desires now. Instead, she offered him the empathy he had been jokingly seeking earlier.

"Today was important to Jamison. This was a very big problem to her and you helped her with it. _You_ are her hero, Tony," Ziva encouraged.

"This is going to get a lot harder. Right now she's just worried about what the other kids think but what am I going to do when she really does start, you know, developing? I didn't really think that part through when I signed up for this," Tony admitted tiredly.

"It will be fine, Tony. You have many strong female influences for her. Abby, Irina…Ellie," Ziva added the final name somewhat reluctantly and then grew puzzled when Tony laughed.

"I guess I forgot to tell you about introducing the girls to the team," Tony hinted.

"It did not go well?"

"Jamison had a tantrum and threw her soccer ball at Ellie. That was our first experience with discipline. Fun times," Tony shared.

"Was it unprovoked?" Ziva asked astutely.

"Let's just say neither of them knows when to back down. You're enjoying this," Tony accused.

"I am not," Ziva protested lying unsuccessfully.

After pausing a moment she told him softly, "Letting go of the badge was my choice, Tony. It is important to me that the team is whole again. I need to know someone has your back but…feeling replaced is never easy."

"Jealous of the new baby? You know you're not replaceable, Sweet Cheeks," Tony teased subtly reminding her she was still part of the family whether physically present or not.

When Ziva didn't respond, he added more seriously, "Ellie's grown into a good agent, Ziva. The team is alright. You don't need to worry about us. Should we be worried about you?"

"I have been…in a difficult place. Talking with you is always a welcome respite," Ziva revealed candidly surprising Tony once again.

"What you said just now about your dad…."

"I went to Gaza," Ziva admitted softly.

"What? When? Were you there during that missile strike? The one the killed your friend?" Tony demanded to know.

"No. It was earlier. In December. There was a cease fire then," Ziva quickly reassured him.

Despite his frustration over the risk she had taken, Tony did not say more because he feared it would divert her from explaining her reason for being in the dangerous region.

"I went to the camps where Ari's mother worked and to the remains of the home where they lived. I wanted to see what his life was like as a young child. I wanted to understand," Ziva shared.

"Why he betrayed you?" Tony asked gently.

"No. I needed to know what made him hate my father. Ari hated and I loved but we both became killers. It was not Ari's betrayal I wanted to understand. It was my father's," Ziva explained slowly.

Since he had left her in Israel, Ziva had given Tony almost no insight into what she was thinking. She had wrestled with herself and her past alone behind a door that was nailed tightly shut. As he listened to her try to reveal something of her journey to him, he pictured her using all her strength to pry the nails slowly and painfully from the sealed door.

"We were a family. We laughed together. My father is the one who taught me how to pray. When he danced with me, he made me feel beautiful. But he also trained us to kill. I needed to be able reconcile those things."

"So have you?"

"I do not think it will ever be possible so I am trying to find peace without having all the answers," Ziva told him her voice filled with resolve but remarkably free of anger or bitterness.

"You will," Tony promised.

* * *

_Tuesday, May 20, 2014…_

Abby grinned happily at Gibbs as they watched Kori twirl around the court room in a glittery pink tulle dress and matching ballet flats.

"My Ziva sent me a princess dress for my adoption day," the little girl had announced proudly to anyone who would listen.

Jamison, on the other hand, was trying to act more grown up. Tony's older daughter wore a silky sleeveless purple dress with a silver waist band and matching silver sandals. The young girl had proclaimed the small heels of her sandals to be "high" and no one dared to disillusion her.

"Okay, guys, we need to go sit at our table. It's time to start," Tony said corralling his daughters.

Once court had been called into session, the judge gave the girls' caseworker permission to present her recommendation. From her seat in Tony's lap, Kori stared wide eyed at the bench where the semi-retired elderly gentleman sat attired in his black robe as he listened intently. He glanced briefly at the child and gave her wink. He loved presiding over adoptions and despite his advancing age, it was the one part of the job he had refused to give up.

"Your Honor, Anthony DiNozzo has had physical custody of these two children since February first of this year. Kori Scott's biological parents are both deceased and Jamison Scott's biological father has voluntarily terminated his parental rights. I have made several visits to Mr. DiNozzo's home and spent time with this family. Mr. DiNozzo has a strong support structure of friends helping him and the girls are absolutely thriving in his care. I am very pleased with this placement and it is my recommendation that you allow this adoption to proceed."

"Thank you. I understand Mr. DiNozzo wishes to change the names of both girls?" the judge asked.

"Yes, Your Honor, if you will look on page three…"

"Ah, yes, here it is. Alright, well, then it is my great pleasure to declare Jamison Brooke DiNozzo and Kori Annison DiNozzo part of the DiNozzo family," the judge proclaimed with a smile and a loud thud of his gavel.

"He banged his hammer, Daddy! Am I adopted?" Kori asked excitedly her voice echoing in the small court room and causing joyful laughter among the witnesses.

"Yes, young lady, you are officially adopted. Would you like to choose one of my stuffed animals to take home with you?" the judge asked.

In front of the judge's bench there was a table that held a variety of plush toys. It was the judge's custom to let each adopted child that passed through his courtroom select a stuffed animal as a keepsake of the day. Kori happily scrambled off Tony's lap and ran to the table immediately picking a white teddy bear dressed as a ballerina.

"What about you? I've got something else for you later if you don't want a stuffed animal," Tony promised Jamison.

Tony studied his older daughter as he waited patiently for her answer. She had been thoughtful and subdued since the judge's declaration.

"Maybe I could get one of the little ones to put on the shelf in my room. You could help me pick…Dad," Jamison said trying out the new title for Tony hesitantly.

"I like the sound of that," Tony agreed intentionally leaving it ambiguous whether he meant helping Jamison choose or having her call him Dad.

Tony sensed Jamison needed to find her own way to come to terms with what the judge's declaration meant to her. The child reminded Tony of Ziva in this regard and learning when to push and when to back off in that relationship had helped Tony be a better parent to Jamison.

"Hey, check this out, Shortcake. Where'd you get this?" Tony asked the judge holding up a sock monkey with the Ohio State logo embroidered on its chest.

"These toys are all donated. They usually come from other families who've been through here. Are you a Buckeye?" the judge wondered.

Tony nodded his affirmation but was distracted from speaking as he felt a tug on the toy he held.

"This is the one I want," Jamison explained as she pulled it from his hand.

"Great choice, Shortcake," Tony teased while sharing a meaningful look with the judge.

It was five hours after the judge's declaration when Ziva awoke to an email inbox filled with pictures from the DiNozzos' adoption day. She sobbed softly as she scrolled through photo after photo of her NCIS family. Tony had invited her to make the trip to Washington to attend the hearing but she had declined. She simply did not feel ready for the vulnerability facing her loved ones would entail.

Ziva knew her quest to change would be for naught unless it included exchanging the protective armor she had worn since adolescence for the ability to have healthy, intimate relationships. Her months of self-analysis had left her raw and exposed emotionally and she had resolved not to return home until she felt strong enough to be open and honest with her loved ones.

* * *

_Saturday afternoon, May 31, 2014…_

"Oh, God," Ellie moaned stepping back from the blue tarp as Jimmy Palmer revealed the contents it held.

"It's always worse when it's a kid," Tony said empathetically his own voice tight with emotion at his second viewing of the mutilated and abused body of eleven year old Jenna Tate.

"How could anyone…why…oh my God," Ellie stuttered fighting for control.

"Go walk it off. Vomit. Scream. Cry. Whatever you need to do," Tony told her gently knowing his partner's first case involving a child was going to be extremely difficult.

"How can you be so calm?" Ellie demanded her expression filled with anguish.

"I wasn't thirty minutes ago. Now I'm just pissed," Tony explained tightly.

The team had been called to a residential street in suburban Annandale, Virginia. It was normally a quiet community but that had changed four hours earlier. Two thirteen year old boys riding their bikes in the neighborhood had found a bundled tarp in the middle of the road. Inside was the body of their young friend, Jenna. She was naked and bound by duct tape with her throat slit and strange designs and symbols carved into her skin.

Jenna had been a lively and outgoing child who was well known to most of her neighbors. She lived on a quiet cul-de-sac and her Navy father and stay-home mother had easily given their permission for her to walk to a nearby friend's house on the bright and sunny Saturday morning. Her parents had not realized Jenna was missing until she hadn't come home for lunch as expected. They had just begun searching the neighborhood for their daughter when the boys found her body.

"Alright, Mr. Palmer, let's get our precious cargo into the truck," Ducky said with a deep sigh.

This case would be hard for everyone and the doctor knew the team would not rest again until the killer was found.

* * *

Tony glanced at his watch. It was seven o'clock Saturday evening. Irina would be giving Kori a bath and putting her to bed by eight. Tony had only missed bedtime with his girls a handful of times in the past five months but never had it been more difficult than it was tonight. He desperately needed to see Jamison and Kori alive, healthy and happy after spending the past few hours picturing their faces on Jenna Tate's abused body.

"Got a timeline ready for you, Boss," Tony announced as he and Ellie finished combining the information they had gleaned from interviewing witnesses.

Tony and Ellie quickly walked Gibbs through Jenna's morning from the time she left her home to visit her friend until her parents realized she was missing and the boys found her body. There was an obvious gap since Jenna had never arrived at her friend's home. The child had disappeared shortly after nine-thirty and been found dead just three hours later.

"I requested a search warrant for the parents' home and the friends' house. We'll have it by morning. Abby said to look for duct tape. She can match what was used to bind the…Jenna with the original roll if we find it," Ellie added still struggling with the horror of the case.

"We can add other residences if we link the girl to them. Right now those are the only two the judge will sign off on," Tony clarified when Gibbs seemed irritated.

"The only cameras for the neighborhood are at the community entrance. I'm reviewing the footage frame by frame. If there's something there, I'll find it," Tim declared with hardened determination.

After the others got back to work, Tony slipped over to Gibbs's desk and asked quietly, "Boss, I was wondering if I could take maybe just an hour and run…"

"Go tell your girls good night, DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered gently.

* * *

The mood at the DiNozzo home was somber as Tony gently explained that he would be gone for a while. He lovingly tucked Kori into bed as Jamison watched.

"Irina will take good care of you," Tony promised.

"Hocus is sad. She will miss her daddy," Kori told him.

"I know, Monkey, but this is really important," Tony tried to explain.

When he saw Jamison's scowl, he added, "Nothing is more important than you but…today a bad man did a very bad thing and made some people very sad. It's my job to make sure that bad man goes to jail so nobody else has to be sad. I'm going to have to work all the time for a couple of days to make that happen. Okay?"

"Okay," Kori agreed resolutely.

"Big hug and butterfly kisses," Tony requested before holding Kori tight and telling her he loved her.

"I need to ask Dad a question but I'll be right back and stay with you until you fall asleep," Jamison promised reverting into her miniature adult mode.

The pain Tony carried from the day eased just a bit when Jamison confidently called him Dad. She had continued doing it since their adoption hearing. Having a judge declare them a legal family had been very meaningful to the child.

"Thanks for taking care of your sister, Shortcake. You help Irina and there's some extra allowance money in it for you, okay?" Tony told her once they were out of Kori's earshot.

"Dad, why is this bad man different from the others? How come you have to catch him on a Saturday?" Jamison asked.

Surprisingly, Jamison wasn't angry or resentful but simply trying to understand. The child was astute enough to discern the differences in Tony's demeanor and she comprehended that this case was special. Tony debated how to answer. His daughter deserved as much honesty as he could give her but she was still a young girl and Tony didn't want to cause her unnecessary fear.

"This bad man did something that caused a little girl to get hurt. He needs to be in jail so nobody else gets hurt," Tony explained.

"Is the little girl going to be okay?" Jamison wanted to know making Tony instantly regret his admission.

"I wish I could say yes, baby, but I can't lie to you. She's in heaven now with the angels so that means she's okay but her mom and dad are really sad because they can't see her for a long time," Tony sighed attempting an explanation the child could understand.

"Can that bad man ever hurt us?" Jamison wondered nervously.

"Absolutely not," Tony told her emphatically.

"You'll catch him, Dad. You're a good cop," Jamison encouraged him perfectly imitating the manner in which he often praised her.

"You know what would make me feel really good right now? A great big bear hug."

Tony was unprepared for the fierceness with which Jamison attacked his midsection and almost stumbled backwards before returning the child's embrace.

"I love you, Shortcake."

"I love you, too," Jamison mumbled into his stomach.

Tony was finally forced to let go. After Jamison was back with Kori and safely protected from hearing the details, Tony gave Irina a little more specific information about the case. She had already heard most of it on the local news.

"Don't worry about anything. I will care for the girls for as long as you need," the Israeli woman assured him.


	4. Chapter 4

_Sunday morning, June 1, 2014…_

"Whatta you got, Abs?" Gibbs demanded deciding not to wait before placing a large Caf-Pow! on the table next to her as compensation for working through the night.

"A lot of trace evidence that doesn't lead anywhere. Y_et_," Abby told him resolutely before taking a long draw of the caffeinated drink.

With the seriousness of the case, Abby shared her results without preamble.

"Jenna had the killer's DNA under her fingernails and between her teeth. Ducky also found semen on her and I found some on the tarp too. That tarp was a plethora of evidence, Gibbs. The killer left fingerprints, fibers, and even blood. No hits on anything yet. He's not in the system," Abby explained.

"You got anything I can use, Abs?"

"He has a genetic disorder called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency or AATD. Ducky says depending on his age, he could have lung or liver problems. It's not a sure thing but AATD does occur more frequently in whites of European ancestry," Abby added quickly.

Gibbs immediately opened his cell phone and chose Tony's name from the contacts. The senior field agent had taken Ellie back to Annandale to execute the search warrants.

"DiNozzo, Abby says our most likely suspect is a white male with lung or liver problems."

"Got it, Boss. The neighbors told us about a kid they say has been acting a little off since yesterday. Maybe he fits the profile. We'll check it out."

Tony called Gibbs back an hour later to say they needed to add sixteen year old Tyler Warner's residence to the search warrant.

"The kid's been acting odd. Hanging out around where the body was found making strange comments about the great mundunugu, whatever the hell that is. And the neighbors say he has asthma."

"Give me the address and I'll meet you there," Gibbs ordered.

After hanging up with Tony, Gibbs updated McGee.

"Keep working on those symbols with Abby. And find out what the hell mundunugu means."

After a quick google search, McGee yelled toward a departing Gibbs, "It's another word for witch doctor, Boss."

* * *

Gibbs motioned for Tony to cover the rear entrance of Tyler Warner's house. Keeping Ellie with him, the lead agent knocked on the front door.

"Federal Agents. Just need to ask a few questions about Jenna Tate," Ellie announced.

The immediate response from within the house was gunfire and shattering glass. With a cry, Ellie grabbed her leg with one hand and reached for her weapon with the other. Both she and Gibbs returned fire as Tony broke down the back door and entered the house. The attack ceased almost as soon as it began.

"Suspect down," Tony yelled as he found Tyler Warner's dead body in the living room still clutching his mother's pink handled revolver.

When Tony reached the front porch and found Gibbs pressing his jacket against Ellie's leg, the senior agent quickly ran to their vehicle and retrieved his backpack. Just moments later, Tony ripped open a bandage and quickly pressed it to his fallen teammate's thigh. The chemical that coated the special gauze designed for soldiers and law enforcement did its job and Ellie's bleeding immediately began slowing.

Gibbs and Tony quickly determined that the bullet had grazed Ellie's leg deeply gauging her skin and muscle tissue but missing anything vital. Tony reassured his partner that she would be okay.

"Bet it stings like a son of a bitch," Tony sympathized.

"Hear those sirens? EMT's are almost here. Hang in there. You'll have some good drugs on board before you know it," Tony added as they waited.

"I'm alright, DiNozzo," Ellie asserted with a pained grimace.

"Sure you are. You just need to get sewn up and put in a little couch time and you'll be good as new," Tony promised.

* * *

_Early Monday morning, June 2, 2014…_

"How's Ellie?" Abby demanded anxiously as Gibbs and Tony joined her and McGee in the lab.

"She'll be fine. She's getting released this morning. Her husband's with her," Tony updated them having just checked in with his partner's spouse.

"You two got something?" Gibbs asked abruptly changing the subject.

"These symbols are some scary stuff, Gibbs. They're variations of depictions used in a form of voodoo practiced in Uganda," Abby explained.

"We're still working on the interpretation, Boss, but we think they're supposed to be a prophecy," McGee explained.

"A prophecy of what?" Gibbs growled.

"They tell a story. This one means Jenna was a precursor of a high sacrifice to come. And these two mean the one chosen for the coming sacrifice will belong to someone in the circle that surrounds the precursor. It's confusing," Abby admitted.

"What's really scary, Boss, is that this isn't the only case where these symbols have been used. We've found four other girls in CODIS so far and the query is still running," McGee revealed.

"That's why there's a task force, McGee. This is the FBI Special Agent in charge Jeffrey Wilson. Your case hit their radar," Director Vance said he entered the lab and introduced the man with him.

"You're going want him here, Gibbs," Vance added as he saw the team leader stiffen at the reference to the task force.

"If you have anyone on your team with a daughter under eighteen, we need to get her into protective custody immediately. She may have already been selected as the chosen one," the FBI agent announced getting directly to the point.

* * *

_Nearly noon on Monday, June 2, 2014…_

Kayla Vance placed pizza on paper plates and distributed it to her brother as well as Jamison and Kori DiNozzo. The four children were watching a movie in Vance's office with Special Agent Dorneget. Their fathers had not yet explained why they had been removed from school and rushed to NCIS headquarters but all of the children knew it was serious. Kayla was so worried she had not even protested missing the final day of the school year with her friends.

The faces gathered around the big screen in the squad room were indeed very serious as FBI Special Agent Wilson introduced the other members of his task force to Gibbs's NCIS team and Director Vance.

"You'll learn none of us has children. There's a reason for that," Special Agent Wilson began.

Directing their attention to the big screen, he told a chilling story that spanned across the United States over the past three years.

The display showed a row of seven pictures of teenage boys. The last was a photo was of Tyler Warner, the boy responsible for murdering Jenna Tate.

"We believe the Great Mundunugu, or Mun as we've been calling him, initially recruited each of these boys as young as eight or nine. Based on our psychiatrist's assessment, we believe this witch doctor probably performed a pretty horrific ritual that left the kid traumatized. It might've involved animal sacrifice, maybe while it was on top of or next to the kid. Whatever he did, it gave the Mun complete control over each of these kids. We have no idea how many more boys he might have out there," Wilson explained.

"After a few years, the Mun started activating the boys. Around every six months he has had one of them kidnap and murder a young girl," one of the other FBI agents added.

Wilson clicked a button on his laptop and a second row of photos appeared on the big screen. Each picture was of a young girl ranging in age from six to twelve. Jenna Tate's face appeared directly below the photo of Tyler Warner.

"All seven of these girls' murders followed the exact same pattern you saw with Jenna Tate. Sexually assaulted, throat slit, voodoo symbols about the prophecy carved into their skin, bound with duct tape, wrapped in a blue tarp and dumped. In each case, the boy made no effort to hide his crime and committed suicide by cop as soon as he was caught," another agent from the task force added.

"We call these girls the round one victims. We set a flag in CODIS on any female victim between five and fifteen with symbols. The Tate case hit our radar when you put it into the system and referenced the carvings in her skin," Wilson shared.

"What about the round two victims?" Tony demanded forcefully.

Special Agent Wilson added another row of six young girls' photographs to the display. Below Tyler Warner and Jenna Wilson, the space was blank.

"In each round one case, a member of the responding investigative team lost a daughter within two weeks after the initial murder. In one case, it was actually a member of our task force whose daughter disappeared," Wilson explained.

"You say the round two victims disappeared. Have you found any of them?" McGee wanted to know.

"Just this one. A lost hunter in Texas found her ashes in an isolated cabin in the woods," one of the agents answered pointing to the second photograph in the third row.

"You can imagine what might have taken place when you look at the pictures from the scene," Wilson shared changing the display to a horrifying set of evidence photos.

"Based on our expert's interpretation of the symbols, the Mun performed a particularly gruesome ceremonial sacrifice intended to bring great success and prosperity," Wilson explained.

"This is voodoo?" Gibbs asked with disbelief.

"Oh, believe me it has _nothing_ to do with the authentic practice. This guy borrowed a name and a few symbols and made up his own warped religion to justify the worst kind of perversion. To be honest, if you've never believed in pure, demonic evil, you will after this case," one of the other FBI agents added.

"And you think DiNozzo's youngest is the girl this witch doctor will want for his round two victim?" Director Vance asked.

"He's always gone for the smallest and most innocent looking of the possible choices. We can put all three girls in a safe house," Wilson began.

"And how many times have you failed at that? This bastard is six for six on getting his second victim," Tony accused angrily.

"It took some time to form the task force and figure out that the round two victims were connected," one of the agents defended.

"We've attempted to protect the fifth and sixth victims without success. The fifth girl was one of our agent's daughters. The Mun caught us off guard when he went after her instead of one of the responding investigators' kids. That's why we recommend protecting Director Vance's daughter as well," Special Agent Wilson explained remaining calm.

"So this bastard penetrated your detail to get his sixth victim," Gibbs concluded in hard voice.

"He found the hotel where we had hidden the girl and sent in a team to take her. They killed our agents and got the girl," Wilson acknowledged sadly.

"I'm not risking it. I'm taking Kayla out of state with my own security detail," Vance decided turning to Tony with intent of asking how the agent wanted to protect his own family.

"Oh, I'm planning on doing a hell of a lot more than that," Tony declared with a pointed stare at Gibbs who agreed with a barely discernable nod.

"Do you mind explaining what you mean by that?" Agent Wilson demanded to know.

"Yeah, actually I do mind," Tony growled as he marched out of the bullpen.

Once he was alone in the stairwell, Tony chose a contact from the list in his phone and dialed.

"I need your help. Get on a plane."

* * *

_Four a.m. Tuesday morning, June 3, 2014 at Patuxent Naval Air Station…_

Tony sat on the bed next to where Jamison and Kori lay snuggled together in sleep while their father cradled his gun. Irina sat in a chair near the door holding her own weapon and remaining alert for danger.

Under different circumstances, the view of his daughters sleeping like this would have brought Tony immense joy. He loved seeing them at peace and knowing they were his. He was still amazed at how quickly he had fallen in love not only with the girls as individuals but also with the idea of being a father.

It had been a year since Tony and his two teammates had collectively resigned as NCIS agents and Ziva had ceased to be his official partner. He ached to have her by his side right now. Tony found it slightly comforting that Irina had once been Tali's personal body guard and not a mere babysitter as he had first believed. It was at Ziva's urging that he had kept Irina with them.

Tony had less confidence in the FBI agents that stood guard outside their room. The enemy that threatened his daughters had penetrated a similar wall a year ago. The child stolen that night had never been found.

Doing the mental math, Tony realized it had been almost eighteen hours since he had called Ziva. Vance had arranged for her to hitch a ride on a military cargo plane headed for Patuxent. At the first opportunity, Tony planned to have Ziva take the girls and leave the FBI task force completely in the dark on their location. Gibbs's gut said this so called witch doctor had an inside source at the FBI.

Hours later when Special Agent Wilson questioned him, Tony would pretend to be fuzzy on the details of what happened next. In reality, he remembered everything from the minutes after a man had suddenly dropped into the room from the air conditioning vent overhead. In the same moment Tony had reacted to protect his daughters, the kidnapper's head had snapped back from the force of a bullet penetrating his skull.

"Nice shot," Tony complimented with relief as he recognized Ziva standing in the doorway.

"He is not alone. We need to take the girls into the bathroom," she ordered rushing to scoop a still sleeping Kori into her arms as Irina moved to guard the front door.

"Come on, baby," Tony urged reaching for a now awake and terrified Jamison.

"Cover them. I will stand guard," Ziva told Tony as she placed Kori in the bathtub and motioned Jamison into the tub as well before closing the bathroom door from the outside and positioning herself in front of it with a gun in each hand.

"Keep your head down below the edge," Tony instructed the girls wanting the tub wall to provide them some protection.

With his gun aimed at the door, Tony listened closely to the scuffling outside and did not relax until he heard Malachi Ben-Gidon's voice. Ziva hadn't told Tony she was bringing back up but he was glad for the extra help.

"Ziva, we are clear. The other two are down," Malachi called from the front entrance to the room.

Ziva opened the bathroom door to find Tony quietly whispering to his daughters. He was trying to prepare them for what was going to happen next.

"We don't have much time," Ziva told him regretfully.

Tony nodded and started to take the girls' hands to lead them out of the bathroom before Ziva stopped him.

"We need to cover their eyes," she explained softly scooping up Kori once again.

Tony did the same with Jamison and instructed her to keep her face against his shoulder and her eyes closed. He was thankful for Ziva's foresight as he stepped around the bodies of the fallen kidnappers and FBI agents while following his former partner outside to where Malachi had a car waiting. Once the girls were standing by the vehicle, Tony prepared to say a temporary goodbye.

Kneeling down, he faced a sobbing Kori and attempted a comforting smile as he told her, "You're going to have a grand adventure with Ziva and her friend Malachi. I love you, Monkey, and I'll see you soon."

"I don't want to go, Daddy," Kori begged.

"It's okay. I'll take care of you. I will, Dad," Jamison bravely tried to reassure both her sister and father.

"I know you will, Shortcake. I need you to do everything Ziva tells you to do no matter how crazy it sounds, okay? That's how I'll know you're safe. You promise?" Tony pleaded hoping the love and trust he had earned over the past few months would be enough to keep his strong-willed daughter cooperative.

"Okay, Dad. I promise," Jamison assured him trying not to cry as Tony carefully removed an engraved platinum bracelet she wore.

Jamison solemnly watched Tony pocket the gift he had given her on her adoption day. It was inscribed with her new name and she had not removed it from the moment Tony had fastened it on her wrist until now.

"You have to pretend to be somebody else for a little while. Nobody can see your real name. I'm going to give it back to you when I come for you. I love you, Shortcake. You're mine for always, that's never going to change," Tony reassured her.

After hugging them both tightly, Tony put the girls into the back seat of the car and then faced Ziva. He tried to remain stoic but his eyes revealed his anguish.

"I _will_ keep them safe, Tony," she told him cupping his cheek briefly in her palm and then joining the girls in the car.

"We will guard them well, my friend," Malachi also promised before driving away with Ziva and the girls.

When Tony returned to the room, he found Irina standing over one of the kidnappers. The man took his final breath as Tony watched from the doorway.

"Thomas Pettit. That is the name of this witch doctor," Irina told him in a cold hard voice.

* * *

"Try not to blink," Ziva instructed gently.

"I _am_ trying but you're poking me in the eye," Jamison protested.

"Do you think you can do it yourself if I show you how?" Ziva asked patiently instead.

Jamison nodded and with fierce concentration and determination she managed to put a brown contact lens into each of her eyes. Ziva helped both girls cover their hair and most of their faces with head scarves before donning one herself.

"Look at me," Ziva instructed her voice a bit stern for effect.

"Do not say anything if we are around other people. If you need something or you have a question, you must ask me when we are alone. We are pretending we don't know how to speak English. Only Malachi will talk. Do you understand?"

Both girls nodded solemnly.

"We are ready," Ziva told Malachi as he stood guard at the mobile home door.

The four had made a brief stop at a trailer park near Patuxent. Malachi had prearranged for a Mossad operative in the U.S. to have a mobile home equipped with the things he and Ziva needed to make their escape including another vehicle. After abandoning the car Malachi had stolen to get them off base, the four would travel in an older model sedan registered to the false identity of a Jordanian immigrant.

Malachi and Ziva hoped the disguise would negate the BOLO the FBI might issue for the girls. The greatest risk to the girls' would be on the journey to the safe house in New York where Malachi and Ziva intended to hide.

Ziva sat in the backseat of the car with the girls and tried to encourage them to go to sleep. They had a seven hour drive ahead if Malachi was able to take a direct path to Syracuse. Most likely he would travel a circuitous route instead although both he and Ziva were anxious to reach their destination.

Malachi glanced in the review mirror periodically studying Ziva as the girls slept. Finally he spoke.

"It was a necessary kill. Let it go. You cannot afford the distraction. There will be time for guilt later," Malachi ordered but Ziva did not respond.

The Mossad officer was worried about his friend. He'd heard the rumors about Ziva and Director Elbaz had confirmed some of them when he'd requested personal leave to assist his former Kidon team member. The director had expressed shock that Ziva had called upon Malachi for help before learning the reason. Once Director Elbaz understood the danger to the children, she'd made a surprising decision. Not only were Tony's girls receiving Mossad protection but Director Vance's daughter had it as well.

* * *

_Tuesday afternoon, June 3, 2014 in Washington, D.C.…_

"It's need to know, Wilson, and you don't need to know," Tony explained facetiously.

The head of the FBI task force was trying to question Tony again about the events at the Navy Lodge. The FBI agent was also hoping to discern the whereabouts of Tony's daughters.

"I think I need to know if you're harboring the people who killed my agents," Wilson argued.

"Pettit's henchman killed your agents. Face it, the witch doctor got through your so-called security, _again_," Tony disagreed angrily.

"You don't know that…"

"Actually, we do. The forensics proves it," Abby smirked entering the bull pen.

She went on to display pictures of the bullets used to kill the two FBI agents and two of the kidnappers. Each individual had been killed by a different gun.

"How can you be sure…"

"I've tested bullets from the guns that killed the kidnappers before," Abby declared.

"Who did they belong to?" Wilson demanded to know.

With a side-eyed look to Gibbs for confirmation, Abby replied smugly, "That's need to know and it looks like you don't, isn't that right Gibbs?"

"Forget about the girls and focus on Pettit," Gibbs barked having complete confidence the children were safe.

"Boss, I found three shell companies owned by Pettit. I'm going to start working my way through their assets," Tony announced as his focus returned to eliminating the threat against his daughters.

* * *

_Wednesday morning, June 4, 2014 in Washington, D.C.…_

"No matter how devious they are, they always have a lair that reveals everything," Tony pontificated as he searched the witch doctor's storage facility with McGee and Gibbs.

The storage company had been owned by one of Pettit's shell companies that Tony had discovered the day before.

"Boss, check this out," McGee said holding up a copy of the most recent NCIS newsletter.

Gibbs opened the brochure with gloved hands and cursed when he saw the second page with an article about the DiNozzo adoption. A picture of Tony and the girls was circled in red permanent marker and a statistic citing the Major Case Response Team's exceptional solve rate was also highlighted. Next to it, someone had written a message.

_The prophecy foretold a challenge. This NCIS team is the best of the best. _

"Hey, Boss, this psycho kept records of everything. Looks we'll be able to find the rest of the teenage boys he recruited," Tony announced as he held up a journal.

"This is more like a bible than a record but it does have a lot of names," McGee added reading over Tony's shoulder.

"Yeah, and we know one of them. Special Agent Wilson. I knew that guy was pushing too hard wanting to find the girls," Tony exclaimed his voice filled with panic.

* * *

_Also Wednesday morning, June 4, 2014 at a well-guarded estate in Syracuse, New York…_

"I don't like cereal," Kori shook her head frowning.

Ziva was finding that despite all of her imaginative whimsy, little Kori DiNozzo had a strong stubborn streak. She was also a very picky eater unless sweets were involved.

"Dad gives her a big spoonful of peanut butter and a bowl of strawberry yogurt for breakfast," Jamison explained trying to be helpful.

Ziva sighed and returned to the refrigerator to see what they had that might please the little girl. When Malachi arrived a few minutes later with donuts supplied by a member of the estate's security team, Ziva decided to forego nutrition and allow the girls to enjoy the treat. The children had eaten nothing but junk food as they had traveled to Syracuse but they were alive and that was what mattered most. They could eat nutritiously again once they were safely home.

After breakfast had been eaten, the group returned to the upstairs guest suite where they had spent the previous night. Malachi and Ziva remained alert for any signs of danger as they searched for ways to keep the two children entertained and distracted.

The day progressed more smoothly than Ziva had anticipated. Malachi had been surprisingly good with the girls and a significant help in occupying them. Accustomed to guarding an older professor, the estate's security team had also become enchanted with their young guests and procured toys and dvds for them to help pass the time.

The girls were preparing for bed when Ziva's phone rang. The call originated from an unfamiliar burn phone but she recognized Tony's voice immediately. She listened intently as Tony explained what the NCIS team had learned about the witch doctor, his phony religion, and his band of deluded followers that included Special Agent Wilson, the agent in charge of the FBI Task Force. Ziva tensed as she realized the plan was now to bring the battle to the house in Syracuse.

"It's the only way to stay ahead of them, Ziva. I'll be there by tomorrow morning and I'll be followed," Tony told her soberly.


	5. Chapter 5

_Late morning, Thursday, June 5, 2014…_

Malachi led Tony up the stairs toward the guest suite where Ziva was guarding Jamison and Kori.

"How close is this witch doctor?" Malachi asked.

"Abby and McGee tracked him to the hotel in Ithaca where you dumped the second car."

"We were picked up from there by a private driver. It will make us a little harder to trace but not impossible," Malachi concluded.

"It doesn't matter. We're letting his FBI source will tell him where to find us. Pettit will need a little time to organize a way to breach the security on this place once Wilson fills him in but it won't take long. We've got a day at the most. Gibbs is setting up the sting now," Tony explained.

"So we wait. We are the bait in the trap."

"If I thought there was another way…," Tony began his voice filled with frustration.

"I am not judging your methods. I agree we have no choice. We will do what needs to be done to keep Jamison and Kori from harm," Malachi soothed the worried father.

"You seem awfully committed to the cause, Mal. What makes protecting my kids an official Mossad mission?" Tony inquired as he stopped Malachi at the top of the stairs.

"That is a question only the director can answer. I am here for a friend," Malachi responded.

"Okay, then, friend to friend, do you know why Ziva went to Mossad for help?" Tony asked.

The question had been nagging at him since the Navy Lodge.

"Ziva didn't go to Mossad officially. She came to me personally. She knew I would not fail her a second time. And she knows I have little tolerance for men who sadistically abuse innocent children. I am not father but I am an uncle," Malachi revealed in a hard voice.

"Well, I guess I owe you one then, Mal," Tony decided.

"No. I am repaying you for salvaging a failed mission and for saving the life of an officer once under my command. These are not things I forget," Malachi disagreed.

"Wow, didn't know I meant so much to you there, Mal," Tony teased jokingly gripping the Mossad officers shoulder and receiving a steady glare in return.

"Look who has arrived," Ziva announced to Jamison and Kori once Tony appeared at the door to the suite.

"Daddy!" Kori screamed and ran to jump into Tony's arms.

Wiry and small, she felt like a little monkey as her hands tightly gripped his shoulders and her legs wrapped around his waist. Finally, leaning back and grasping his face with her hands, she gave him a huge smile.

"Do you want butterfly kisses or Eskimo noses or sugars?" she asked joyfully.

"Hmm…sugars," Tony decided prompting Kori to kiss him on each cheek with a loud smack.

Jamison, on the other hand, remained standing aloof with her arms crossed and an angry scowl on her face.

Tony stared at her for a moment before saying, "Alright, McKayla Maroney, I get it. Not impressed with Dad's safety plan. You've made your point. Now can I have a hug?"

Jamison's scowl transformed to hesitant grin as she moved to wrap her arms around Tony. Her father closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The peace might not last but for now, his girls were safe in his arms. Tony reopened his eyes to find Ziva blinking back tears.

He held her gaze for several moments as he silently communicated his deep gratitude. Tony feared that his gratefulness would not be enough to compensate for the cost. Ziva had killed a man in defense of his children. What had that done to her?

* * *

"Daddy, this fairy tower house has a secret room. Vidia said I could show you when you gotted here. Do you want to see?" Kori asked excitedly after Tony had settled into the suite.

"_Got_ here," Jamison corrected with an eye roll.

"This is Lizzy and we are the fairies with special powers that have come to her aid. We brought her on a great journey to our fairy tower house for safe keeping until the terrible troll is vanquished. I am Vidia and this is Silvermist," Ziva explained pointing to Jamison as she updated Tony on Kori's latest fantasy role play adapted from the world of Tinkerbell.

"So who does that make you, Mal? Please say Fairy Gary," Tony ordered with exaggerated enthusiasm.

"I am Terrence," Malachi revealed smirking with amusement as he disappointed Tony.

"Terrence's favorite thing is helping his friends, Daddy," Kori explained patiently thinking Tony had legitimately misunderstood.

"And his favorite flower is morning glories," Tony responded still enjoying the idea of the badass Mossad assassin being assigned the role one of Tinkerbell's contemporaries.

"You are well educated in the world of fairies. How many times have you watched this movie, Tony?" Ziva asked condescendingly.

"He has probably viewed it enough times to know forever is a very long time, or so I hear," Malachi quoted sarcastically as he uncharacteristically defended Tony.

"Did you just quote Tinkerbell in character, Terrence?" Tony joked incredulously.

"I have come to realize the number of times a parent has viewed a film may not always be by his own choosing. Would you not agree, _Vidia?_" Malachi asked Ziva.

A Tinkerbell movie had been among the dvds procured by the estate's guards for the girls thus prompting Kori's latest role play. Ziva and Malachi had both been forced to watch the film more than once.

When Ziva disdainfully ignored him, Malachi added more soberly, "I will check in with the security team while you view the panic room."

"This is a safe house done right," Tony commented a few minutes later as Jamison demonstrated how a full length mirror in the suite's windowless bedroom became a door to a panic room.

Ziva had made certain the child knew how to work it and was prepared to take her sister into the safe haven at the first sign of trouble.

"The door is bullet proof as are the walls. There are weapons inside if you do not have time to reach yours," Ziva told Tony quietly hoping the girls were not fully listening.

"Dad's still wearing his gun just like he did at that Navy house. At home he puts it in the safe but it's okay because we know the rules. Make sure the safety is on. Don't put your finger on the trigger. Point it down. That's only if you have to pick it up otherwise leave it alone and tell a grown up," Jamison recited quoting the children's gun safety video Tony had showed the girls several times.

"Or you can tell a fairy," Kori added causing the adults to smile.

"The girls and I have been sleeping in this bedroom. You can stay with them tonight," Ziva explained gesturing toward the pallet she had made by the door after giving the girls the double bed.

* * *

While Malachi watched the girls, Tony helped Ziva clean up from the floor picnic they had called dinner. The children had thought it was fun and it kept them upstairs where they were less accessible to intruders. It also served as a temporary distraction from the ongoing bickering between the two siblings. They were obviously getting a little stir crazy and felt less prohibited from acting out now that their father was with them.

"So why does Mossad have a safe house in Syracuse? Or do I want to know?" Tony asked Ziva.

Finally being reunited but restrained by the dangerous and difficult circumstances, Tony and Ziva were forced to keep their conversation mundane and their focus on the children's safety. Even the trying conditions could not impede the looks of tenderness and longing that silently passed between them, though.

"The estate belongs to a prominent Israeli religion professor at the university. He has criticized what he believes are misinterpretations of the teachings of Mohamed and there is a fatwa against him. The Israeli government protects him," Ziva explained.

"Oh, great, so Al Qaeda might pay us a visit too?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"His enemies know when he travels. They will not be looking for him here right now. He…"

Ziva broke off when she heard the distinct sound of a slap followed by Kori's wail of indignation. Both adults turned back toward where the girls had been playing peacefully just moments earlier.

"Jamison, you have a time out for hitting your sister. Go to the bedroom," Tony ordered keeping his voice even and the consequence consistent with the one his daughter would have received at home.

"No," Jamison responded angrily crossing her arms and planting her feet firmly.

"Your choice," Tony replied picking up the iPod she had left on the couch and putting it into his pocket with a pointed look back at his daughter.

The young girl stood unmoved.

"Alright," Tony said with an exaggerated shrug as he began searching through the gym bag of comfort items he had brought for the girls.

Pulling out Jamison's DS, he held it up and said, "You've got five to decide if this is mine for the night too. Five…four…three…two…"

"Ugghhh! I hate you!" Jamison screamed before stomping to the bedroom and loudly slamming the door.

"She…" Ziva began as she comforted Kori but Tony held up his hand.

"Wait for it…" he said pointing at the bedroom door which promptly opened and then slammed shut again louder the second time.

"I intended to say she obviously feels much more secure with you here. She was very compliant before you arrived," Ziva revealed.

Tony sighed and rubbed his hands over his face with frustration, "Everything I've done for the past four months to give them stability and this stupid bastard wipes it all away…"

"Tony," Ziva interrupted with a warning tone nodding toward the bedroom door which had cracked open a few inches.

"Off the record please?" a much calmer voice requested from behind the door.

Tony gave Jamison permission to come back to the living room.

"You said a jar word," the child said stating the obvious.

"Yes, I did. I tell you what, Shortcake, I'll make you a deal. If you want to call the terrible troll a bastard too, you can do it just this once," Tony decided referring to the moniker that Kori had bestowed on the witch doctor.

Jamison thought about it for a moment and made a decision.

With her hands on her hips, she angrily declared, "Bastard!"

Malachi stared at the child with amused shock before asking, "You encourage this, Tony?"

"You say Israel jar words. I asked Ziva what it meant when you said ben zona in the car and…," Jamison defended before Tony hastily interrupted.

"Good work, Terrence. Now my ten year old knows how to curse in two languages," Tony said shaking his head and quickly ushering the child into the bedroom and shutting the door so the two could talk privately.

Leading her to a stuffed chair in the corner, Tony sat and, despite her protests, pulled Jamison into his lap. Silently, he pulled her bracelet from his pocket and refastened it on her wrist. He hoped the symbolism was not lost on the child. After a few minutes of being held, Jamison's resistance slowly began to crumble.

"Did it make you feel better to call the troll a jar word?" Tony asked gently and Jamison nodded in response.

"But I'm mad at you. You said the bad man couldn't hurt us. And you promised we could always stay with you but then you sent us away," Jamison whispered tearfully.

"I didn't send you away, Shortcake. I was hiding you. That's what you do with your treasure, you know…hide it where nobody can steal it," Tony teased softly snuggling her closer.

"Pirates have treasure, Dad, not cops," Jamison returned with an eye roll.

"Arrrr," Tony growled like a pirate finally winning a small grin from his daughter.

"You know, Ziva was my partner for a long time," Tony grew more serious.

"For how long?" Jamison wanted to know.

"Almost your whole life, Shortcake. That's why I knew I could trust her with my treasure. I didn't want to let her take you but I had to do it. I knew Ziva would take really good care of you until I could come get you," Tony tried to explain.

"But why couldn't we just stay with you? _You_ take good care of us."

"Yeah, but that troll knew where to find me. He didn't know about Ziva and she's really good at hiding. And if somebody ever does find her, she can kick their ass."

"I know. Ziva used to be a secret ninja and Malachi still is one. He told me. He even has a whole ninja army. And he showed me how to fight if somebody tries to grab me before I can run away. I'm supposed to step on their foot really hard in just the right spot, and bite their hand between their thumb and finger, and poke them in the eyes. We practiced," Jamison revealed.

Tony was not surprised to learn that Ziva and Malachi had entertained the girls by giving them self-defense training.

"You better not try any of those ninja skills on me," Tony teased before growing serious again.

"I would never trust just anybody with you but Ziva really cares about you," Tony told Jamison earnestly.

Above all, he wanted the child to understand that love had been the motivation for every choice he had made for the past few days.

"Ziva loves us. She says it before she sings us lullabies with Israel words to help us go to sleep," Jamison revealed.

Tony smiled and pulled Jamison closer. With just moment's notice, Ziva had traveled half way around the world and risked everything to protect his daughters. It could only be viewed as an act of love. He knew he should not take hope from it but it was impossible to guard his heart when Ziva had rescued what he treasured most.

* * *

When Tony returned from tucking the girls into bed, he found his former partner standing outside the bedroom door alone. Approaching her from behind, he leaned forward and dropped a soft kiss into her hair. Ziva closed her eyes and drank in Tony's scent as his hands caressed her shoulders.

"I have missed you," she breathed out softly before Tony could say anything.

"Special Agents Gibbs and McGee have joined Officer Sandlar in the security control room. He is briefing them on the estate's security features. The FBI traitor is there as well. For the moment, the perimeter is secure. There is still no sign of the coming troll or his minions," Malachi reported from the doorway as he returned from his final evening check in with the Mossad security chief.

Tony quickly stepped back from Ziva and she turned to face the Mossad officer.

"I will take the first watch outside the bedroom door. Tony will be in with the girls. We should all sleep tonight. We are likely to battle trolls tomorrow," Ziva commanded.

The mood was sober as all three expected FBI Special Agent Wilson to communicate everything he learned about the estate to the witch doctor. Fortunately, Officer Sandlar knew this and had collaborated with Gibbs on exactly what to reveal.

The two men complied with Ziva's suggestion. Tony went to the bedroom pallet and Malachi took the sofa in the living room.

"You are afraid to be alone with him," Malachi challenged four hours later when it was Ziva's turn to sleep and she moved toward the couch he had been using instead of going into the bedroom with the girls and Tony.

"His children are in the room, Malachi," Ziva protested disdainfully.

"I know. You will be forced to talk instead of having sex," Malachi countered sarcastically.

With a glare, Ziva turned and marched into the bedroom where Tony slept while Malachi silently congratulated himself. There is nothing like a good challenge to steer passion in the right direction, he decided allowing himself a brief moment of amusement in the midst of a very serious situation.

Tony awoke as Ziva slipped into the room and he waited to see what she would do. She carefully lay down beside him on the pallet with her back toward him and facing the bed where the girls slept. Without a word, he inched closer and put an arm around her waist spooning them together. She did not resist.

Ziva forgot to breathe for a moment and then she softly brought her hand over Tony's intertwining their fingers. Saying she missed him earlier had seemed so benign compared to what she truly felt. Ziva longed for Tony every day. She had many regrets but not being ready to accept Tony's love when he had finally offered it haunted her most of all.

Not surprisingly, Tony was the first to break the silence.

"I want to tell you I'm sorry about that guy at Patuxent but I can't do it. Even with Irina's help, I don't know if I could have held them all off. If you hadn't been there…" Tony trailed off not wanting to voice what could have happened to one or both of his daughters.

"I'm fine, Tony. I did what was necessary to save the girls yet I feel regret for taking a life. I have changed. I am satisfied with that," she explained.

"Ziva…"

"We need to sleep, Tony," she interrupted gently kissing the hand she held before closing her eyes and forcing herself to rest.

With a sigh of resignation, Tony attempted to do the same.

* * *

_Early afternoon, Friday, June 6, 2014…_

Malachi had spent the past few hours pacing tensely in front of the entrance to the upstairs guest suite and listening via his earpiece to every word spoken on the secure radio channel the Mossad protection team used. The girls had sensed the change in the adults and were quietly watching a movie without arguing.

"Mistar! Mistar!" Malachi yelled suddenly using a biblical Hebrew term for a secret hiding place.

Jamison responded immediately to the prearranged code word. Grabbing Kori's hand, she pulled her sister on a dead run for the panic room as the adults followed.

"Excellent job!" Ziva complimented the girls once the door was safely sealed behind them.

"Are we practicing again, Ziva?" Jamison asked nervously.

"Did the bad troll find us, Daddy?" Kori simultaneously queried her father.

"The troll is trying to climb the wall but it's going to be okay. We are safe in here. Boss and Fairy McGary are going to vanquish the troll before he can get into the house," Tony promised earning an eye roll from Ziva for his latest twist on McGee's name.

"And the ninja army too, right Dad?" Jamison asked.

"You are correct. They are blasting the troll and his minions with fairy dust as we speak," Malachi assured her as he heard gunfire in his ear piece.

Meanwhile, in the security control room, Officer Sandler updated McGee and Special Agent Wilson.

"I have sounded the alarm and the children secured in the panic room. Special Agent Gibbs is leading the counter attack against the breach on the east wall."

McGee nodded to Sandlar who then covertly activated a program to scramble all communication from the room that was not using the Mossad secure frequency. Assured any listening device Wilson carried would now be useless to the witch doctor, McGee spoke.

"Hands on your head, Wilson," he ordered in a hard voice pulling his gun and aiming it at the FBI agent.

"Excuse me? What the hell?" Wilson demanded.

"We know you're one of them, Wilson. Hands on your head," McGee repeated.

Wilson moved to reach for his own gun instead of complying and Tim fired hitting the agent in the head.

"Sorry about the mess," Tim apologized as he woodenly watched the dead FBI agent's blood seep into the carpeted floor of the control room.

"I am used to it," Officer Sandlar shrugged.

Inside the east wall of the estate, Thomas Pettit watched from the battle from a safe distance as his faithful followers were felled one by one. None came close to reaching the house that shielded the self-proclaimed witch doctor's chosen one. His dead followers meant nothing to the so-called priest. Only the innocent lamb he sought was of any worth and he was determined to have her.

Gibbs found and confronted Pettit as the witch doctor approached the porch of the estate. Calling first for Pettit to halt his advance toward the house, Gibbs immediately followed his words with the discharging of his weapon. With one deadly shot, the former Marine forever vanquished the terrible troll. No one would ever question whether Gibbs had given Pettit enough time to comply with the order to halt before shooting him. The Mossad officers who witnessed the witch doctor's demise cared only that their mission to protect their enchanting guests was successfully completed.

Still hidden in the panic room, Malachi listened to updates in his earpiece and finally announced, "It is over. Special Agent Gibbs is coming to us. We are to wait for his signal before opening the door."

The relief in the small room was palatable. When the door opened a few minutes later, Gibbs immediately sought Tony's eyes.

"Pettit and Wilson are done. In a biblical way," Gibbs told his senior agent in a hard voice gratified to see the satisfaction and relief in Tony's eyes.

Gibbs turned to Ziva next and with a slight smile and nod, opened his arms. Ziva, who had been uncertain of his welcome until that moment, rushed to embrace him.

"I have missed you," Ziva told Gibbs when she finally pulled away.

"Missed you too, Ziver," Gibbs replied studying her closely as she shifted to receive a warm and enthusiastic greeting from Tim.

Ziva looked understandably tired but there was more. She had lost weight and her smile did not reach her eyes. The concerns Abby and others had expressed to Gibbs about Ziva were justified. Her journey over the year had taken its toll. Gibbs desperately hoped she would decide she did not have to complete the remainder of it alone.

* * *

_Late Friday night, June 6, 2014…_

Ziva and Malachi, along with Tony, were in the motel room Gibbs and McGee were sharing at a Best Western in Pennsylvania. The group had stopped for the night after deciding it was too late to drive the entire route back to Washington from New York. The girls were asleep in Tony's adjoining room with the door cracked so their father could keep watch. The NCIS agents had been bringing Ziva and Malachi up to date on the details of the complex case. When the names of the dead kidnappers at the Navy Lodge were revealed, Ziva had silently slipped from the room.

Tony started to follow but Gibbs stopped him and went after Ziva himself instead. The NCIS team leader found his former agent in the motel courtyard leaning against the railing surrounding the pool. Gibbs stood by Ziva's side silently for several minutes.

"That bastard would've gotten one of the girls if it hadn't been for you," Gibbs finally told her quietly.

"I know. I did not ever want to kill again but protecting children I love made it a necessity. What I did was not the action of a cold hearted assassin but…,"

"The instinct of a mother. You were a mama bear protecting her cubs," Gibbs interrupted with a slight smirk.

"Not my cubs. Tony's. I did this for him, Gibbs. Jamison and Kori are his heart now," Ziva explained softly.

"DiNozzo's a good father," Gibbs agreed with just a hint of pride for his best agent.

After a few moments Gibbs added, "He loves you, Ziver. He's waiting for you to come home. He tries to pretend he's not but he is."

"I can never be an agent again, Gibbs. I had to let go of the badge. That has not changed. I must never again be in a position where I face the possibility of killing for a job. I have enough blood on my hands," Ziva replied emphatically.

"I wasn't talking about your job. I was talking about your family," Gibbs told her harshly using almost the same words she had said to him a year earlier.

Frustrated, Gibbs started to walk away and Ziva stared silently after him fighting the desire to cry. She wanted him to be proud of her but she felt she had disappointed him instead. In reality, Gibbs just didn't know how to help her. Ziva had to find the future for herself. If Gibbs said too much, she would eventually question if she had once again followed a father's direction instead of her own heart.

"Ziver," Gibbs said quietly having turned back around.

When she looked up, he told her gently, "The future might be a lot simpler than you're making it."

Two hours later, Ziva lay silently in bed with Tony. He had tried once again to apologize for putting her in a position where she had been forced to kill but she had deflected it.

"I'm fine, Tony. Stop bringing it up," she whispered harshly.

"You're fine? Because you don't seem fine to me," Tony disagreed.

"I am thinking. Why will you not allow me to just think?" Ziva demanded to know.

"Because I don't want you beating yourself up for saving _my_ kids!"

Although his frustrated tone matched Ziva's, there was genuine anguish and guilt in Tony's eyes that caused Ziva to soften.

"That is not what I am thinking about, Tony. I have reconciled with my past. All of it. I am thinking about tomorrow and I do not wish to discuss it," Ziva explained before refusing to speak anymore.

Satisfied with her answer, Tony settled for simply holding her as he had done the night before and she didn't resist. Just as the sun began to rise, Ziva reached a conclusion. She had needed to be alone in Israel to reconcile with her past and the person it had made her but she was strong enough now to find her future among her loved ones. It was longing for them, and not guilt or grief that had been causing her heartsickness in recent days. Ziva was ready to come home.

* * *

_Saturday morning, June 7, 2014…_

"There are five seats remaining on an El-Al flight departing Dulles at nine-thirty this evening," Malachi announced the next morning at breakfast as he studied the screen on his phone.

"We'll have you there by mid-afternoon," Gibbs assured him.

"Ziva, you are staying longer in Washington?" Malachi confirmed hopefully.

"Abby will come after her if she doesn't," McGee asserted.

Ziva merely smiled and nodded her agreement with them both. Gibbs observed that she appeared more relaxed and at peace this morning as compared to the previous evening. Last night she had worn a uniform of tightly braided hair and hardened stoicism. Today, her hair was long and loose, her eyes teasing and warm, and she smiled easily. Never sure of anything with Ziva, Gibbs was cautiously optimistic the change meant she had decided to remain in Washington indefinitely.

"Will you stay at my house, Ziva? Please, please," Kori begged sweetly.

"Three people can sleep in our room. I'll share the bottom bunk with Kori if you want to be on top," Jamison offered persuasively.

"The top bunk…now there's an offer you can't refuse," Tony teased his eyes as hopeful as the girls.

"I do find being on top to be the most pleasurable way to…sleep," Ziva agreed making a deliberate allusion to the old sexual innuendo she and Tony had once shared.

"I think that means yes," Jamison whispered loudly to Kori.

Tony stared at Ziva and she returned his gaze without wavering. Her smoldering eyes confirmed the hidden meaning in her words and she smirked proudly when he gulped and shifted in his seat. She was tormenting him and enjoying the effect it had on his body. With her careful effort not to even so much as flirt over the past few months, the change now filled Tony with hope and anticipation.


	6. Chapter 6

_Saturday afternoon, June 7, 2014…_

Ellie Bishop carefully maneuvered into her desk chair before she leaned her crutches against the cubicle wall behind her and watched Abby pace. Ellie's desire to escape her husband's anxious hovering and prove to him that her injury was not serious had propelled her to the office. Now she regretted not waiting until Monday to come back to work.

The group returning from Syracuse was due to arrive any minute. They had deposited Malachi at the airport but Ziva was still with them and Abby was beside herself with excitement. Ellie, on the other hand, was very apprehensive. She desperately wanted to leave but was too proud to do it. Being the youngest in her family and the only sister to three brothers, it went against her very nature to back down from a challenge of any kind.

Ellie swallowed nervously when the elevator dinged and she heard Abby squeal a few moments later. At least Ellie's injured leg gave her an acceptable excuse to remain in her chair.

"It's so good to see you. I mean see _you_ you and not virtual you. I know I see you when we video chat but now you're huggable you," Abby rambled as she broke away from the bone crunching embrace she had given Ziva.

"I have missed you too, Abby," Ziva replied uncharacteristically offering the forensic scientist a second hug.

"Hi, Ellie! Did you know I had a grand adventure?"

Ellie was startled from eavesdropping on the reunion between Ziva and Abby by Kori. The young agent smiled at the little girl noting her sparkly hair clips, ponytails, and pink nail polish. Tony had obviously had a little help dressing the girls this morning.

"Tell me all about it," Ellie requested grateful for the distraction and always happy to talk to the younger DiNozzo daughter.

"There was a mean troll chasing me and my fairy friends Vidia and Terrence protected me. I hided in a tower with a secret room and then my daddy came and gotted me. Terrence had to go home. I'm a little bit sad about that but my Ziva is visiting my house and that makes me the happiest," Kori explained mixing her fantasy world with reality.

"Why do you have crutches?" Jamison asked bluntly after growing bored with the adults' conversation and joining her sister at Ellie's desk.

"I hurt my leg catching a bad guy," Ellie answered carefully still wary of Tony's older daughter after the soccer ball incident.

"Wow! You must be a real klutz," Jamison decided swinging her braided hair saucily in a near perfect imitation of Ziva.

"Your father's partner was injured in the line of duty, mamileh. She deserves our respect," an accented voice admonished as an olive skinned hand softly brushed Jamison's back to take any sting out of the correcting words.

Ellie knew the dreaded moment had arrived. Her eyes nervously traveled from Jamison's face up to the woman standing next to the young girl. Ziva David was a legend at NCIS and Ellie had seen pictures and heard the stories of a dangerous assassin capable of killing with weapons as simple as a credit card, paper clip, or merely her bare hands.

This woman did not fit that image on first glance. Ziva was intimidatingly beautiful, no doubt, but in a much softer way than Ellie had expected. And with just a few words, Ziva had been simultaneously gentle in her correction of Jamison and kind in her reception of Ellie.

Having Ziva call her Tony's partner had significantly eased the newer agent's nervousness. Ellie deeply appreciated what it must have cost Ziva to say those words. The young agent knew the former partners shared a deep attachment to one another that time and distance had not erased.

"Sorry. I hope your leg feels better soon," Jamison mumbled obediently to Ellie in response to Ziva's admonishment.

Jamison's apology shocked Ellie so much the young agent almost completely forgot how uncomfortable she had felt meeting her predecessor. Apparently Tony had been truthful when he said Jamison's behavior was improving. Ellie wondered if Ziva's obvious relationship with the child was a beneficial influence as well.

Before Ellie or Ziva had an opportunity to say anything directly to one another, Abby swooped in and made the introduction a little less awkward with her exuberance. Ziva continued to be kind despite the initial wave of misplaced anger she'd felt upon seeing the woman sitting at her old desk. Ellie's obvious discomfort brought back memories of Ziva's early days at NCIS after the team had lost Kate and it caused the former agent to empathize with her successor.

"Hey, My Little Probie's back on the job. How's the leg?" Tony teased as he joined the group around Ellie's desk.

"I think a troll musta spitted it on it, Daddy. Troll snot burns you," Kori announced creating her own safe explanation for how Ellie had been injured.

"That's right but you know what? Ellie blasted the troll with fairy dust and he disappeared," Tony told his daughter.

Tony's words gave Ellie a moment of pause. The autopsy on Tyler Warner had revealed it was a kill shot from Ellie's gun that taken the teenager down. It was the young agent's first time to end a human life. Although it had clearly been self-defense, she was secretly struggling with it emotionally. Gibbs and McGee appeared to be so matter of fact about killing Wilson and Pettit that Ellie was afraid to let anyone see that Warner's death had an effect on her.

"Seriously, the leg's okay?" Tony asked his partner softly where Kori wouldn't overhear.

"I'm fine, DiNozzo. Just sore, that's all," Ellie assured him wary of his uncharacteristic niceness.

"Great! Then you can do all my paperwork," Tony responded with glee.

"Tony!" Ziva admonished with a light punch to his stomach.

"What? She's stuck at her desk. What else is she going to do?" he pointed out while Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Don't allow him to haze you. He can do his own paper work. And there is no written examination of the manuals either. He will try to make you study for a test that no longer exists if he has not done so already," Ellie's predecessor warned much to the young agent's delight.

Ziva gave Tony a triumphant smirk as she effectively ruined any hope he had of pulling his favorite prank on the team's youngest agent.

"Oh, I see how it's going to be. You ladies already have a girl power thing going. You think you can double team me…," Tony began.

"Doesn't look like any of us are doing paperwork today," Gibbs interjected after having reviewed four file folders he'd found on his desk.

"You did all that this morning?" McGee asked Ellie incredulously.

"I was bored. Abby helped," she deflected modestly.

"Now we can all spend more time with Ziva," Abby added joyfully.

"You do this too?" Gibbs asked holding up a leave request form with Tony's name.

"I texted Abby, Boss. Family leave. I have a childcare issue to resolve," Tony explained briefly hoping the others would not question it.

"What childcare issue?" Ziva asked shrewdly.

"I'll tell you about it later," Tony told her with a pointed look toward Jamison who was listening intently.

Gibbs studied Tony with concern. Now that the immediate danger was over, the team leader worried how his senior agent was handling the fact that a case had endangered his children. Tony's supposed childcare dilemma might be a convenient excuse for not returning to work right away and staying close to his girls instead.

* * *

_Saturday night, June 7, 2014…_

"Oh, yeah, Daddy likes having a sleepover buddy in his room," Tony groaned as Ziva rolled off of him and collapsed by his side with a satisfied smile.

"I do not think this is what Kori meant when she called me _your_ sleepover guest," Ziva teased still slightly out of breath.

"I don't know. She did say having you in my bed would make me the happiest," Tony disagreed as he shifted to face Ziva.

"We should get dressed and unlock the door. The girls could have a difficult night. They may need you," Ziva told him focusing on the practical.

"Is that your way of saying there will be no intimate afterglow?" Tony joked facetiously as he located her pajamas and underwear and tossed them to her.

"What does that mean, Tony? I am simply concerned for the girls after their ordeal and I do not want to cause you to be inaccessible to them," Ziva answered defensively.

"Hey! I was just kidding but we are going talk about this at some point, right? Or are we back in Paris?" Tony tossed out as he pulled on sleep pants and went to unlock the bedroom door.

With the banter and teasing between them beginning at breakfast and continuing throughout the day, the sexual tension between Tony and Ziva had reached a crescendo by the time they had finally gotten the girls to sleep in their own room. Tony had exited his bathroom after readying for bed to find Ziva very pointedly locking the bedroom door. It was the first time they had been alone for more than a few minutes and talking had not been on the agenda but they both knew it now needed to be.

"If you have something to say, Tony, say it," Ziva demanded consciously attempting not to raise her voice and risk waking the girls.

Tony stood there staring as a myriad of emotions enveloped him. Ziva watched as anger, fear, and hurt manifested themselves in his eyes as he fought to remain in control.

"You do not trust me. That is…deserved and understandable," Ziva surmised sadly.

"I don't trust you? You think I don't trust you? You're the one I called when my kids were in danger. I handed them over to you, no questions asked, because I knew you'd protect them with your life. I trust you, Ziva," Tony protested.

"With your children, yes, but not with your heart," Ziva argued.

"Well, what the hell do you expect, Ziva? I put it out there back in Israel and you pretty much stepped all over it and handed it back to me with a see ya, have a nice life. Did you think one round of really good sex would make me forget all about it?"

Tony's angry outburst caught him by surprise but Ziva seemed to have expected it.

"Do you think I separated from you easily, Tony? That I did not care that I was hurting you? I did not want to do it but it would have been much worse to take you with me into the darkness I have confronted these past months. I know you were willing but I could not let you," Ziva tried to explain her eyes filling with tears.

Tony sighed with resignation, "I know. I do. I'm just pissed that it had to be that way."

"I wanted to make love with you tonight because I have missed you and I longed to be with you again. I did not expect to win your heart or your trust with sex, Tony, but I thought the _intimate afterglow_ might make it easier to talk," Ziva explained softly.

"Alright, then, let's talk. You first," Tony demanded testing the waters to see how open she was willing to be and how much she had truly reconciled with her past.

A tear-filled voice interrupted from the doorway to the bedroom before Ziva could reply.

"Daddy, I threw up in my bed. I got it in my hair," Jamison announced pitifully.

"It's okay, baby, we'll take care of it," Tony immediately reassured her.

"I will put her in the shower. You can clean the bed," Ziva suggested.

"Come, mamileh, it will be alright. We will wash you," Ziva told the girl soothingly.

A few minutes later, Ziva gently toweled off a wet and much cleaner child. Jamison continued to cry softly and Ziva knew it was emotional rather than physical sickness that was affecting the girl. After putting a fresh nightgown on Jamison, Ziva pulled her close.

"I know. You have been through a difficult ordeal and you were so brave and strong. It is all over now and you are safe. You are home with your father where you belong," Ziva comforted.

"I want Daddy," Jamison said between quiet sobs.

Keeping her arm around the little girl, Ziva led her to the laundry room where Tony was putting the soiled bedding into the washing machine.

"Jamison needs you. I will finish this," Ziva told him pointedly.

"All clean now, Shortcake? Come here," Tony told her sweeping her into his arms like he would a smaller child and carrying her to the living room.

Tony sat on the sofa with Jamison in his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her cuddling her against his chest as she sobbed.

"It's okay. Shh, I got you. You're okay. I love you so much," Tony murmured words of comfort.

When Jamison's cries finally subsided to hiccups, she whispered softly, "There was blood, Daddy. On the floor by that man's head. Was he dead?"

Shit, Tony thought. He had been so focused on keeping the girls from harm, he'd forgotten about what Jamison might have seen and heard at the Navy Lodge before they got her to the safety of the bathroom. Thankfully, Kori hadn't fully woken until after Ziva had her in the bathtub.

"Yeah, baby, he was dead. He was going to hurt Kori and we couldn't let that happen," Tony explained opting for honesty.

"I was so scared, Daddy. Ziva said I was brave but I was really, really scared," Jamison admitted.

"You can be brave and scared at the same time. Being brave when you're afraid is called courage, Shortcake. You are one courageous kid and I'm very proud of you."

Ziva stirred as Tony rejoined her in bed an hour later.

"She is sleeping again?" Ziva asked with concern.

"Yeah, I finally got her settled down. She…she saw more than I realized at the Navy Lodge," Tony revealed carefully.

"She witnessed me killing a man," Ziva realized sadly.

"That's better than witnessing him kidnap her sister," Tony told her emphatically.

"I have seen this with children before in Israel. She needs trauma counseling, Tony."

"I'll get a recommendation from Ducky. I've been thinking about counseling anyway after what we found out about their grandfather. Maybe Kori too. I still wonder about the fantasy thing, you know. She's escaping when things feel bad and it seems like she should be outgrowing it by now. I was hoping just loving them would be enough but I think you're right," Tony agreed soberly.

"Is that why you told Gibbs you have a childcare issue?" Ziva demanded to know.

Tony's answer focused on the facts rather than what he was truly feeling about the prospect of leaving the girls with professional caregivers. Ziva was not fooled but she accepted his answer anyway.

"The school's summer childcare program is full. There was a wait list. The girls had a spot but then they missed this week and the director had to give their places to someone else. I'm back at square one."

"I believe I am in need of a place to stay and a job," Ziva pointed out.

"You don't say? And what type of summer activities do you provide, Ms. David?" Tony joked.

"For the children or their father?" Ziva teased in return.

* * *

_Very early Sunday morning, June 8, 2014…_

"Dad. Dad," a small voice whispered urgently by Tony's ear as he slept.

"Tony, wake up. What is wrong?" Ziva mumbled to Jamison and Kori as she elbowed Tony in the ribs.

"Kori had a bad dream and we can't go back to sleep," Jamison explained.

Tony glanced groggily at the clock on the bedside table. It was barely after one in the morning. Just an hour had passed since he had put Jamison back to bed after her melt down. It was going to be a long night.

"Would it help if we were all in the same room again?" Tony asked and both sisters nodded with relief.

Tony intended to make a pallet on the floor for the girls but Ziva was already scooting to the middle of the bed and motioning for Jamison to come around to her side. Silently conceding defeat, Tony reached for Kori and put her beside him. It was a tight fit in the queen sized bed but it meant Ziva was partially laying on him so Tony didn't complain.

"Alright, everybody go to sleep and nobody wake me up in the morning. It's a sleep late day," Tony ordered in his best agent in charge voice.

The girls giggled and Ziva merely rolled her eyes. After a few moments of restless wriggling, a small voice broke the silence.

"Will you sing us our lullaby, Ziva? Please?" Kori pleaded.

Ziva complied and Tony's heart ached from the perfection of the moment as her sweet voice filled the room and lulled them all to a peaceful sleep.

Seven hours later, Tony awoke when a little foot kicked his nose. He opened his eyes and even with his view partially blocked by Kori's toes, he could see Ziva's amused smirk as she lay on her side facing him. Kori slept parallel to the headboard across the top of everyone's pillows with her feet by Tony's head.

"When did she…" he began in a whisper.

"Sometime during the night. I awoke a few minutes ago and found her like this. At least we all finally slept."

"Hi," Jamison grinned as she popped up from behind Ziva.

"Good morning," Ziva smiled shifting over onto her back and pulling Jamison into a hug.

"How's your stomach, Shortcake? Feel better?" Tony asked.

"It feels great. Can we go to Wicked Waffle for breakfast? Please? It's a sleep late day," Jamison reminded him.

"We're going somewhere. We've got nothing here. We need to go grocery shopping today."

"I would also like to retrieve some things from storage. Like my car," Ziva requested.

"Are you going to stay for a long time?" Jamison asked astutely.

"What if Ziva stays here all summer and you hang out with her instead of going to childcare? How does that sound?" Tony wanted to know.

"Will you take us swimming?" Jamison queried Ziva accepting the arrangement as final.

"I thought it would be best if we did school work and spent every day in the library," Ziva decided with mock seriousness.

"Nooooo," Jamison protested with a grin knowing she was being teased.

Two hours later Tony sighed contentedly as he polished off the last of his egg filled waffle sandwich. He and Ziva were enjoying a late Sunday brunch with the girls. Tony fought the desire to think of them as a family as he and Ziva discussed summer plans.

"The trust fund covers anything educational. The definition's pretty broad so any day camps, lessons, whatever you want to do…," Tony started.

"Horseback riding, gymnastics, painting, swimming, soccer, piano," Jamison interrupted listing a few of her ideas.

"I want to go to archery school," Kori added.

"Ziva will check out the possibilities," Tony promised laughing at the girls growing excitement as his eyes connected with Ziva's across the table.

Tony was surprised to find the former NCIS agent's expression to be as filled with joyful anticipation as the two young girls were. It did nothing to squelch Tony's secret fantasy of Ziva playing a motherly role to his daughters.

Ziva observed the snugness of the summer dresses the girls wore and told them teasingly, "Our first task will be to purchase summer clothing. I do not know what your father has been feeding you but you both appear to be growing."

"Peanut butter. Spoons and spoons of yummy peanut butter," was Kori's very literal response.

* * *

_Monday morning, June 9, 2014…_

"I thought you had childcare issues, DiNozzo," Gibbs observed with a satisfied expression as Tony arrived at work on time Monday morning looking less frazzled than he had since taking custody of the girls.

"Problem solved, Boss. I found a summer nanny and she's only costing me room and board," Tony replied with a grin.

"Well, my boy, isn't it lucky that you have the space for a boarder," Ducky teased having joined the team in the squad room.

"Tony's place only has _two_ bedrooms, Ducky," Abby corrected with a grin as she also hovered in the bull pen.

"So, where's your new nanny sleeping, Tony?" McGee asked with feigned naivety.

"Top bunk," Tony deflected with a smug grin.

"Are we having a staff meeting that isn't on my calendar?" Tony wondered as Vance and Palmer also joined the group.

"Don't make us wait, Tony. Did she say anything? How long is she staying?" Abby demanded to know.

Tony looked at the concerned and hopeful faces surrounding him and relented. He dropped the teasing act and opted for honesty instead.

"Ziva committed to helping me until school starts. And I found out she spent the past couple of months converting all the property she inherited to cash. She doesn't have anything in Israel to go back to except a bank account. That's as far as we got with the kids interrupting us all weekend," Tony shared trying to satisfy everyone without being too specific.

"I'm sure the kids weren't the only thing that distracted you from talking," Ellie teased under her breath.

Tony gave her incredulous look and Ellie added with a gleeful grin, "What? You harass me from the moment I walk in the door and I'm supposed to leave it alone when your old partner moves in with you? Not happening, DiNozzo."

"Ziva didn't move in. She's just staying with me," Tony disagreed defensively.

"You sure about that, Tony? How many drawers did you give her? What about the closet? Anything of hers hanging in there?" Tim pointedly interrogated his teammate.

"What're you the expert on defining relationships now, Dr. McPhil?" Tony asked sarcastically in attempt to avoid answering directly.

Surprisingly, it was Gibbs's silent stare that forced Tony to sheepishly admit, "Ziva's going to be here all summer. She had to put her stuff somewhere. I might've let her reorganize the closet a little. Pack up my winter stuff to make some room."

"This is not good enough. Ziva needs a real job before school starts," Abby interjected forcefully with a pointed frown directed at Vance.

"I concur. The combined purpose of helping Anthony with the girls and having a fulfilling occupation just might be enough to keep our troubled girl tethered to us," Ducky decided.

"I've already offered her every non-agent position at NCIS," Vance defended his efforts.

When Abby glared at him, the director added, "I do have a friend in the private sector who would be very interested in her skills. He's starting a new consulting business. I'll try to set up a meeting."

"Look, I know you're all trying to help but there's no way Ziva's going to consider a job anytime soon. She thinks Jamison and Kori need her full attention. They feel safe with her," Tony argued.

"The girls are having problems, DiNozzo?" Gibbs confirmed finally entering the conversation.

"Jamison was awake at the Navy Lodge and saw everything. She melted down after we got home. Kori's having nightmares and she's still doing the Tinkerbell thing. It doesn't matter how many rooms we have. We can't get through the night without all of us ending up in the same bed," Tony shared.

His concerns for the girls prevented the others from enjoying the fact that Ziva was clearly sleeping with him.

"I can give you the name of a good child therapist," Vance offered quietly.

"Counseling would probably be best at this point, my boy," Ducky agreed somberly.

"Yeah, that's what Ziva said. I thought about staying home with them today but she's bringing the girls up here for lunch instead. She's bringing food, too, so nobody go out," Tony informed them.

"Ziva sounds like a great step-mother," Ellie decided causing everyone to stare at her.

"What? It's not like everyone else wasn't thinking it," Ellie muttered self-consciously.

"I was thinking she'd be a great foster mom, actually. Ziva should consider adoption…or maybe she is. Or you are, Tony, with her, I mean, letting her…," Jimmy stuttered and then finally trailed off.

"Mama bear," Gibbs decided softly with a pleased expression.

Tony gave the others an indulgent smile as he sat at his desk but internally he was anxious. His team meant well but they weren't helping him maintain boundaries. He had promised himself he would not hope for more than the summer with Ziva but this morning had made it difficult. Kissing his three girls goodbye as he listened to them plan for their day had felt right and his extended NCIS family obviously wanted it to be permanent as much as Tony did.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm behind on replying to reviews now that the holidays are over and I'm back at work with big deadlines, etc. Please know I still appreciate them. If anyone has a burning question, send me a PM and I'll try to get to that first.

* * *

_Around noon Monday, June 9, 2014…_

"Daddy!" Kori squealed as she exited the NCIS elevator at a full run.

"Hi, Monkey!" Tony responded with a welcoming grin as Kori launched herself into his arms knocking her pink hair bow askew.

"What's up, Shortcake?" Tony added greeting Jamison more casually knowing his older daughter might be embarrassed if he was too affectionate in front of the others.

"Hi, Dad. We brought lunch," Jamison announced to everyone as she and Ziva followed Kori to Tony's desk where Ziva deposited a box filled with sandwich fixings, fruit, and a large salad before automatically reaching over to restore order to Kori's hair.

"Those are cool flip flops," Abby observed as she hugged both Jamison and Ziva.

"They're new. Ziva took us shopping after we went to the library. We got three of the books on my summer reading list and I got a new swim suit and flip flops and a Monster High beach towel," Jamison bragged.

"Wow! What kind of swim suit?" Abby asked.

"It's a purple and orange tank-ini. Kori had to get a one-piece 'cause she wanted Merida to be on hers," Jamison responded proudly.

"There's a summer reading list?" Tony asked Ziva while Jamison talked with Abby.

"I cleaned out their school back packs for you," Ziva explained.

"So in four hours you cleaned out back packs, went to the library _and_ went shopping?" Tony asked incredulously.

"We put away all the laundry too, Dad. And Ziva made dinner in this crocodile pot that cooks when we're not home," Jamison informed her father momentarily distracted from Abby.

"I gotted to help. I poured the soup all by myself and I stirred with a big spoon. I'm gonna try three bites before I eat peanut butter," Kori explained proudly.

Her excitement over being old enough to assist with dinner preparations kept Kori completely oblivious to Ziva's subtle attempt to expand the little girl's palate.

"Crocodile pot? You mean a slow cooker? Didn't know we had one," Tony noted as his teammates listened to the domestic conversation with great amusement.

"We purchased it when we went to Target for swimsuits and sunscreen. I also purchased a second booster seat for Kori to use in my car. I thought that would be easier than moving one between vehicles," Ziva explained.

"Good idea," Tony agreed.

"No, Daddy, it's not a good idea. I don't want it," Kori shook her head stubbornly.

"But it is pink and purple. You said it was beautiful," Ziva reminded her.

Ziva appeared surprised Kori suddenly disliked the booster seat she had claimed to love while in the store.

"I don't like riding in Ziva's car. I want to go in Daddy's car. It's nicer to me. Ziva's car goes rrrrr and rrrrr and the seatbelt squeezes me really hard right here," Kori insisted pointing to her chest.

"You're such a baby. Ziva's car is fun. It's like Mario Kart," Jamison inadvertently tattled.

Tony gave Ziva a very stern look and she muttered apologetically, "I am trying, Tony. I have observed the speed limit and I have stopped at all of the red lights and stop signs. Having young passengers is an adjustment."

"Adjust faster, Mary Poppins," Tony ordered his voice a mixture of humor and genuine concern for his daughters' safety.

"We're going to the pool after lunch, Daddy. I gotted a pink life jacket. I'm gonna wear it til Ziva can teach me swimming," Kori informed Tony excitedly.

"We are going swimming a_fter_ we pack up your winter clothes. Tomorrow we are shopping for more summer clothing, for you and me," Ziva reminded the girls of her predetermined plan.

Ziva's brisk tone implied their household would be organized for summer within a few days as she inter-mingled necessary tasks with fun activities for the girls. Amused and excited smiles passed between Abby and McGee as they listened to the conversation. Their hopes for Ziva staying were fueled by her obvious enthusiasm for her new nanny role.

Tony wasn't surprised by Ziva's excitement for caring for the girls or her efficiency in running a household but he also recognized her motivation for staying busy. She was keeping the girls distracted from their ordeal and focused on being home again. It reminded him of the reason she had brought them to the office to see him.

"We have an appointment at four on Wednesday. I should be able to sign a consent form so you guys can go without me after that," Tony said pointedly his eyes communicating to Ziva that it was related to therapy for the girls.

While Ziva added the appointment to the calendar on the new phone she had obtained the previous day, Tony turned to Jamison and asked with mock sternness, "Tank-ini?"

"Dad, you can only see this much of my tummy," Jamison explained with an eye roll as she held her forefinger and thumb about an inch apart.

"Ziva wouldn't let me get a bikini. She said you would take your gun to the pool and glare at all the boys. Don't worry, Dad. I know boys are gross. If any of them talk to me, I'm just going to push them in the pool," Jamison told him.

"Good plan. You keep on thinking that way until you're twenty-five, Shortcake," Tony encouraged.

He had no intention of telling his ten year old daughter that it was not boys her own age that prompted his protectiveness. Nor were they the reason he wanted her well covered while at a public pool or waterpark. Sometimes being a cop and a parent meant you knew too much. Tony could not take his daughters out of the house and view the world around them with innocent eyes especially after the past week. He was thankful Ziva inherently understood this about him.

"That's enough talk about clothes and boys. Let's eat," Gibbs ordered with a teasing glint in his eyes as he snatched an apple out of the box on Tony's desk.

* * *

"You okay? Being Supernanny today wear you out?" Tony asked as he joined Ziva in bed that night.

"I enjoyed the day with the girls," Ziva replied keeping her voice neutral.

"What about lunch? You're being awfully gracious to the new girl," Tony observed.

"Is there a reason I should not be? She is simply doing her job," Ziva responded emotionlessly.

"Yeah, the job that used to be yours. Is it weird being back with everyone?" Tony asked more pointedly.

Ziva sighed and admitted sadly, "It is difficult just as I expected it would be. I cannot regain what I once had. That is the price of no longer being who I was. It was a necessary destruction of trust but I am sorry for the hurt I caused. Everyone is justified in having walls. Perhaps that will change with time but I must accept that it may not. I cannot blame anyone for guarding their heart against me."

"Abby's conspiring with Vance to find you job by September," Tony offered soothingly.

"They want me here for you. You are taking a risk letting me have a relationship with your daughters. I will not disappoint them, Tony. I will not abandon them as their mother did," Ziva told him softly.

"I know you won't hurt Jamison and Kori or you wouldn't be here right now," Tony stated bluntly leaving no doubt that he would sacrifice his own desires to protect his daughters.

"I will not hurt you again, either," Ziva promised.

"I don't know if I know that or not," Tony admitted honestly as a single tear escaped Ziva's eye and snaked slowly down her cheek.

Tony's answer was what Ziva had expected but it hurt. The entire day had hurt. She could not truly expect anyone who had not traveled her path to understand what the past year had entailed or why it had been necessary. Only someone guilty of extinguishing lives as she had done could understand the tortuous journey she had undertaken to find self-forgiveness. Tony had at least peered through a small window into her anguish while in Israel. The others had been left with only inadequate words that failed to enlighten them and instead invoked confusion and heart break.

"When you have done the things I have done, forgiving yourself is not an easy thing. Finding the path to change was difficult. There were times I would have given up if I had not had the hope of you," Ziva revealed quietly.

Tony gently reached out and wiped away the tear trail from Ziva's cheek. He desperately wanted to believe the differences he was seeing in her were real and permanent but fear forced him to hold back. Instead of voicing his feelings, he kissed her deeply and she welcomed it.

Ziva knew returning to Washington was merely the next step in her journey and not the completion of it. She had much work left to do but in this moment she chose to simply cherish the present and the gift of pleasure Tony was offering her.

* * *

_Thursday, June 12, 2014…_

Ziva sighed and repeated patiently, "Kori, you will need to clean up your toys if you wish to go swimming today."

Once again, the little girl stubbornly pretended she had not heard Ziva. Instead, Jamison began to pick up the many toys that were scattered in a wide circle on the living floor near Kori's doll house.

"Jamison, please stop. I asked your sister to clean up those toys," Ziva ordered quietly.

"It's okay, Ziva. It's kind of a big mess. I don't mind helping," Jamison explained hoping to diffuse Ziva's obvious irritation with Kori.

"No, it is _not_ okay. You have already done the job I asked you to do. Kori made this mess and it is her job to clean it up. If she does not wish to follow directions then she can give up swimming today and sit with me while you swim," Ziva replied deliberately keeping her voice calm and even.

Realizing that ignoring Ziva was not going to work, Kori opted for the playing the baby next.

"But I _can't_ do it all by myself, Ziva," Kori pleaded her eyes wide and lower lip jutting out.

"You are almost seven years old and big enough to put away your toys," Ziva disagreed while Jamison watched nervously.

"You may please help me," Kori told Jamison sweetly hoping to charm her sister into defying Ziva.

"No, she will not. You made the mess and you will need to clean it or you cannot go swimming," Ziva repeated calmly determined to win this important battle of wills with the girls.

Jamison looked troubled but she respected Ziva's wishes and refrained from assisting her sister.

"You're stupid and I don't like you anymore. You're a mean babysitter," Kori told Ziva angrily as Jamison looked panicked and shocked.

Ziva forced herself to remain patient and draw on the parenting techniques Tony had shared with her over the past five months as he had faced similar challenges.

"I see you have chosen to be disrespectful. You will need to sit in time out for five minutes. I will start the timer when you go to your room," Ziva responded to Kori evenly.

"I'm sorry, Ziva. I was just joking you. I didn't mean it," Kori tried to apologize her way out of facing the consequences.

"I understand that you are sorry you were disrespectful but you have still earned a time out. Do you wish to go to your room now or shall I add another minute?" Ziva asked still miraculously retaining her calm demeanor despite her rising level of irritation.

"Ziva, she said she was sorry. Can we please just clean up and go?" Jamison demanded masking her fear with anger.

"I'm sorry but we cannot. I'm sad that Kori is wasting our swim time by not following directions," Ziva told them regretfully.

"Kori, it's just a time out. Go already. You're gonna to make Ziva really mad," Jamison whispered urgently to her sister.

"This is NOT fair. You don't love me. Hocus wants her Daddy," Kori wailed resorting to the beginnings of a tantrum.

"I am sorry that you miss Daddy but he is at work and you are here with me. And now you have added another minute to your time out by choosing stay in here and argue," Ziva replied trying to show empathy while remaining firm.

As hard as it was not to give in to Kori's likely genuine desire for her father, Ziva knew strong boundaries were the key to giving the child the security she was craving. Ziva waited unmoved for Kori to go to time out.

Finally giving up, Kori reluctantly obeyed and meandered slowly to her room while making herself look as pitiful as possible. Jamison watched warily as Ziva crossed to the microwave and set the timer for six minutes. The sound of Kori's loud, melodramatic crying echoing from the bedroom caused Jamison's stomach to burn with worry. She almost jumped when Ziva quietly touched her shoulder.

"I know how it feels to be the older sister. It upsets you when Kori is in trouble. You want to shield her from the consequences but she must learn to make good choices without your help, mamileh. You cannot always be with her. I promise you I will always be fair like Tony has been," Ziva reassured the child.

Ziva knew her words would not be enough and only experience could continue to build trust. Today had been a good start. Ziva had been prepared for the girls to eventually test her. It was a surprise that the defiance had come from Kori first, though.

Ziva had also anticipated that Jamison would intervene on her sister's behalf and it was a victory that the girl's protective heart had not led her to do something to completely distract from her younger sister's need for discipline. Ziva suspected that as the older sibling, Jamison had often deliberately drawn the brunt of their grandfather's wrath in order to protect Kori.

"Dad lets me help her," Jamison told Ziva sullenly.

"Well, your father and I may not always do everything exactly the same. We will try to keep the rules consistent. I will talk to him about this but I think it is time you and I begin to teach Kori to do some things for herself. That is an important part of being the older sister," Ziva encouraged.

Jamison looked troubled but she didn't argue. She understood more than Kori what Ziva had done to keep them safe. Going on the run with Ziva had forged a level of trust between the woman and young girl that it had taken Tony weeks to establish. It also helped that Jamison intuitively read Tony and followed her father's lead in respecting Ziva.

The beeping of the timer interrupted Jamison's thoughts and she heard her sister plea contritely for permission to leave time out.

"I need to talk with Kori now. If you are worried, you may stand outside the door and listen," Ziva offered gently.

"I'm going to put on my sunscreen," Jamison decided comfortable Ziva would not hurt her sister.

* * *

"She manipulates you and you don't see it," Ziva told Tony later that night after the girls were asleep.

Like Ziva, Tony had also anticipated the girls would test their new nanny especially once they began to feel more secure in her care. After making his routine nightly inquiry about the girls' day, Tony had remained outwardly empathetic but was secretly amused by Ziva's description of Kori's behavior. He was enjoying the fact that Ziva was getting a small taste of the challenges he had faced over the past five months.

Tony also couldn't resist the temptation to antagonize Ziva as he had in the past and it had led him to deliberately disagree with her conclusions thus far. He had finally driven her to the point that she was becoming accusatory with him.

"Kori's six, Ziva. She doesn't even know what manipulation is," Tony argued stubbornly.

"She is almost seven and a two year old is capable of manipulation if they are rewarded for it. Kori acts like a baby because you respond to it," Ziva asserted with frustration.

"She's just a little kid, a _good_ kid…"

"Yes, she is a very sweet child and well behaved most of the time but there is still a dynamic of Jamison trying to be the adult. She shields Kori from consequences. It is a long established pattern and you have fallen into it with them. I can see it because I did it for Tali when my father trained us for Mossad. I often covered for her mistakes because his anger upset her," Ziva explained trying to remain patient.

"Don't bring _your_ daddy issues into _my_ parenting, Mary Poppins," Tony responded sounding irritated but inadvertently revealing a hint of glee in his eyes.

Ziva silently cursed Tony in her native tongue. He had been deliberately antagonizing her the whole time in order to get a reaction. How had she missed it? She was sorely out of practice. That was going to change she decided as she outwardly humored him.

"You have been a father for five months and this makes you a parenting expert, Tony?" Ziva responded haughtily.

"You know how people go to a foreign country and they take those classes where they become a language expert in less than three months?" Tony asked proudly.

"You mean language immersion, Tony?"

"Exactly. That's what I've done here, Ziva. Parenting immersion. When you have people skills like mine, this kid thing isn't that hard to pick up. Don't be upset if it takes a little longer for you. You'll get there," Tony patronized her.

"I see. Well, since you are clearly the one with more parenting wisdom and experience then you should talk with Jamison about the changes in her body now that she has begun puberty," Ziva suggested slyly watching with amusement as Tony's eyes grew wide with a mixture of shock and horror.

"Are you serious? She's only ten. She can't be…," Tony questioned then glared when Ziva smirked proudly.

After a brief moment Tony's glare changed to a look of genuine satisfaction.

"You wanted to argue," Ziva observed.

Ziva's expression was almost tender when she realized Tony was so happy to be bickering with her. He must have truly missed that aspect of their partnership.

Tony was not sure how to explain the way he felt to Ziva. One minute he believed nothing had changed between them and the next Ziva seemed like a completely different person. Tony had not remained entirely the same either. Having only been together again for a few days, they were still learning the new aspects of each other and the familiar bickering was comforting.

"It's not that I'm not into this new Zen Ziva thing you've got going but I guess I just miss…" Tony started.

"You have no need to worry, Tony. There is not enough inner peace in the world to prevent you from annoying me," Ziva cut him off sarcastically.

Tony levelled Ziva with a grin filled with fondness and affection and it gave her more joy than she had experienced since before her father's death. Ziva had wondered many times since Tony had waved goodbye as he boarded the plane to leave Israel if she had hurt him too deeply to ever receive such a look from him again. The words he said next added to her satisfaction.

"You really are good with the girls and you're right about Kori. She gets away with stuff she shouldn't. I've caught myself letting things slide with her sometimes because she's just so damn cute," Tony admitted.

"That is a trait she shares with her father," Ziva observed with a teasing grin.

"You think so? So what are you going to let me get away with tonight, Sweet Cheeks?" Tony wondered.

Ziva distracted him with a look filled with promise and it took great effort for Tony to refocus the discussion on Kori.

"You know, I've been thinking maybe Kori's old enough for a little responsibility. It might be good for her. She could get an allowance like Jamison does for little chores and buy those dolls she begs for all the time with her own money. And if she expects you or Jamison to pick up for her, then she'll have to pay you," Tony decided drawing on what he'd learned from his _Love and Logic_ parenting research.

"That is reasonable and learning to do small jobs will help develop her self-confidence," Ziva agreed impressed with the idea.

"Let's just be careful about it, okay? I don't want either of them doing so much they don't get to be carefree kids. Especially the little adult wanna be. I don't want her cleaning the bathroom or making dinner every night or anything like that," Tony explained.

"They ask to help me cook. And I do all the cleaning afterwards," Ziva protested defensively.

"Bad example. I've seen them in the kitchen with you. I know they're having fun," Tony quickly apologized.

"My memories of Tali and I learning to cook with my mother are very precious. The three of us spent hours in the kitchen laughing together. Jamison and Kori have not had a mother who did that with them. I just want to give them good memories," Ziva shared softly.

"I want that for them too. This is good. We're on the same page here. This is a parenting partnership. It's like we're a team again. We're back in the game, Ziva," Tony enthused.

Although the parameters were different, Tony was enjoying the feeling that he had regained Ziva as a partner. He was also pleasantly surprised by how easily she was talking about Tali.

Ziva smiled reluctantly at Tony. Her failure to match his enthusiasm disappointed him until she volunteered the reason.

"I have often wondered if I had not shielded Tali during our training with my father if she might have been better prepared that day. Maybe she would have seen the danger before it was too late," Ziva revealed her voice filled with sadness.

"What?" Ziva asked sharply when she found Tony staring at her lovingly.

"You're sharing before I even asked. That's very grown up. I'm proud of you, Sweet Cheeks," Tony praised her in the same manner and tone he used with the girls earning him an angry glare from Ziva.

Sobering, Tony told her, "What happened to Tali wasn't your fault. I bet you were a great big sister."

"Out of everyone I have lost, I miss her the most. I am reminded of this when I see Jamison and Kori together," Ziva revealed allowing Tony to pull her into his arms and offer her comfort.

Tony said nothing but tonight had given him much hope for their future. Ziva's openness was an adjustment but it was a very welcome one.

Even though he had teasingly praised her like a child, Ziva was gratified that Tony had noticed her willingness to share. She desperately wanted him to realize how hard she was working to make their relationship stronger and healthier.

* * *

_Sunday, June 15, 2014…_

Tony opened his eyes and groggily pulled at the post-it note uncomfortably stuck to his forehead.

_Sleep late Daddy_ was scribbled in Ziva's handwriting across the yellow square paper.

Tony smiled lazily as he heard the girls' exaggerated attempts to be quiet in the kitchen. Rolling over and burrowing into the pillow, he remained awake but enjoyed the luxury of letting someone else be the responsible parent. His peaceful respite did not last long but he was happy to give it up when it ended.

"Happy Father's Day!" the girls' screamed in a loud chorus from the bedroom door.

"We made you breakfast for your bed, Daddy," Kori announced proudly.

"And we got you presents. You get to do whatever you want today 'cause it's a special day for dads," Jamison added.

With Ziva overseeing the preparations, the food was appetizing and delicious. She had not exercised the same quality control over the accessories and gifts, however, and Tony gave her a mock glare as he donned the party hat, ribbon adorned button, and costume medallion necklace all proclaiming him to be the world's best father. He was even less amused when Ziva gleefully had the girls pose with him for pictures. He had no doubt his NCIS teammates would receive texted photos before the day was over.

The presents Tony received were a mixture of the traditional home made cards and crafts, a truly horrible tie, and a box set of dvds he'd been wanting to add to his movie collection. In addition to breakfast in bed, he'd been taken to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants and then spent the afternoon at the park with Ziva and the girls. All four had forgotten the difficulties of the past two weeks and just simply enjoyed their time together.

"Don't get up," Ziva told him later that night when she joined Tony on the sofa in the living room.

As a fitting end to a day celebrating him, Tony had been given the luxury of resting on the couch watching a movie while Ziva took care of the evening routine and put the girls to bed. Tony had intended to sit up with her but Ziva put the throw pillow he had been using in her lap instead and idly ran her fingers through his hair as he lay looking up at her.

"You went all out today," Tony observed quietly.

"I think a first should be celebrated. You have never been a father and the girls have never had one. And it was a good reminder for them that they are loved," she responded softly.

"Yeah but today can't be easy day for you," Tony hinted.

"It holds no particular memories. The day is not celebrated in Israel as it is here," Ziva dismissed his concern.

"The girls and I called my dad earlier," Tony revealed.

"I know. That was a good thing to do, Tony. For you and for Jamison."

"I told him about the case. There's no chance the girls were going to keep it quiet. He's glad you're here," Tony told her but his eyes said it wasn't just the senior DiNozzo who was relieved by her presence.

"I'm glad I can be here as well," Ziva replied softly.

"I thought about quitting but I guess you knew that. If anything had happened to them…"

Ziva continued to tenderly run her hand through Tony's hair. She did not know how to articulate how much it meant to her to be able to give Tony the gift of knowing his children were safe. More than once he had been willing to give up his career and even his life for her. The badge had come to represent death to Ziva but for Tony it was his true passion. She was determined he would not give it up now after all he had already sacrificed to become a father.

"The girls are safe, Tony. And I am with them when you are not so you do not need to worry," Ziva reassured him.

"I'm not so sure about that. They're riding in a car with you every day. That's more dangerous than…ow!" Tony protested when Ziva pulled his hair.

* * *

"Oh my God! What are you wearing?" Ellie blurted out when Tony arrived at work the next morning.

"My daughters gave me this tie. It's a Father's Day tradition," Tony bragged.

"It was your first Father's Day, Tony. How can you already have a tradition?" McGee argued.

"It's a timeless tradition, Timmy. Dad's always get ties for Father's Day," Tony explained in a patronizing tone.

"I thought they got soap on a rope, Tony," McGee disagreed.

"Soap on a rope is for Christmas. Ties, Father's Day. Soap on a rope, Christmas. Get it straight," Tony clarified.

"Seriously, it looks like one of my grandmother's patchwork quilts. The ones she made with all her leftover fabric scraps," Ellie declared as she studied the horrid clashing patterns of geometric shapes in odd colors that hung from Tony's neck.

"It's supposed to be origami," Tony defended.

"Is that a dogs face at the bottom?" McGee asked moving in for a closer look.

"The proceeds went to a rescue organization. My daughters are very civic minded," Tony responded proudly.

"I think it's supposed to be a pug, McGee. A pug wearing a pink bow," Ellie clarified mesmerized by the ugliness that seemed to grow worse the longer she stared.

"I think it might be a boxer," McGee disagreed reaching to touch the tie only to have Tony slap his hand away.

"My kids picked this out all by themselves. It has sentimental value," Tony admonished.

"God, I hope Ziva didn't help them choose that thing," Ellie told him tactlessly.

"Come on, Tony. You're going to change it, right? That was really sweet wearing out of the house this morning so you wouldn't hurt their feelings but, really, it's okay to take it off now," McGee decided equally as horrified as Ellie.

"Grab your…"

Even Gibbs had a moment of pause at his first sighting of the fashion monstrosity around Tony's neck.

"Father's Day," Tony explained proudly.

"Stick it in a drawer, DiNozzo. It's part of the tradition."


End file.
